Malloy's Budget Proposal Would Eliminate Millions for Branford Schools

Originally written by Jack Kramer, Correspondent

BRANFORD, CT – If Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed budget goes through it would blow a multi-million dollar hole in the Branford’s school spending plan.

“I wish I had better news,” School Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez told the Board of Education at a recent budget workshop meeting.

Hernandez said the governor’s budget would eliminate about $2.5 million in education and special education funding the town currently receives from the state. Additionally, the governor is proposing that towns pick up one-third the cost of teacher retirement costs in each town.

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In Branford, that one-third cost, Hernandez told the school board, would be $2.7 million.

The result, the superintendent said, is that if the governor’s budget passes the full General Assembly, his proposed 1.96 percent budget increase for 2017-18 would wind up being a 7.96 percent increase.

The good news, the superintendent said, is there has already been a lot of pushback from towns about the governor’s proposed $41 billion budget – which is designed to tackle the state’s growing deficit.

That deficit is approximately $1.5 billion.

The sad thing, Hernandez said, is that his proposed 1.96 percent budget increase “is the smallest one” he’s proposed since he’s been superintendent in Branford.

The school budget has to be completed before the General Assembly takes final action on the state’s budget plan – so Hernandez told the board it is his recommendation that the town move forward with the 1.96 percent proposed increase – and wait and see what happens in Hartford over the next few months.

(Editor's Note: This story first ran previously but here it is again in case you missed it.)