Senator Len Fasano (R-34) and Representative Steve Fontana (D-87) applauded the significant increase in education funding for North Haven included in the recently adopted biennial state budget, and pledged to continue working together in a bipartisan fashion to ensure that the General Assembly continues to treat the town fairly.

“The difference this year is that Steve and I succeeded in convincing our colleagues that it is unfair to restrict the amount of state Education Cost Sharing funding certain communities can receive by capping them. North Haven was one of these “capped” towns and, frankly, that forced the town to take an undeserved financial hit,” said Senator Fasano.

“I’m pleased that we were able to increase dramatically North Haven’s state aid package, particularly for education.  Working together, we helped to improve the Education Cost Sharing formula by raising, for the first time in several years, the basic grant per student that every town gets, and removing the artificial ‘cap’ that kept education funding for many towns, including ours, unfairly low,” said Representative Fontana.

Under the state budget just adopted by the General Assembly, the town of North Haven is due to receive $2,665,126 in Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding in Fiscal Year 2008, up from $1,732,204 under this year’s state budget. During the second year of the biennial state budget, Fiscal Year 2009, North Haven is due to receive $2,819,907 in ECS funding.

”While we are happy that North Haven did better with respect to ECS funding this year, I believe there is considerable room for improvement when it comes to ensuring that North Haven gets its fair share of other types of state aid to municipalities. Removing the cap and increasing ECS funding is the first step,” said Senator Fasano. 

“Clearly, this aid increase is a major step forward.  Given the many parents who spoke to me over the past year regarding the importance of adequate education funding, I hope that North Haven will use at least a portion of these substantial new state resources to improve the education that our children receive,” said Representative Fontana.