Bethel Education Funding Slashed by State

BETHEL, CT - Having to deal with broken funding promises from the state is something towns, such as Bethel, are used to.

But the organization that is in charge of looking out for town like Bethel’s interests - the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities - says enough is enough.

Bethel will have to come up with another $119,449 it hadn’t anticipated to help the state balance the 2017 budget.

Bethel was slated to receive $8.2 million in education funding from the state for 2017. It is now being told in a letter it received this week it will receive $119,449 less – or $8.08 million.

CCM Executive Director Joe DeLong said the state is passing on problems it should be taking care of unfairly to towns like Bethel.

“One thing we do not agree with is the categorization of education spending as municipal aid,” said DeLong. “Education is the state’s responsibility.”

“Having said that, we are more than willing to work with the state to find a fair and equitable funding formula when it comes to education funding” continued DeLong. “The problem with the current funding allocations is they aren’t real. The numbers change - they aren’t predictable.”

By Jack Kramer, correspondent

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