New Laws To Impact West Hartford School Year

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Several new laws will be in effect for the upcoming school year that will have a significant impact on students throughout West Hartford and other districts, according to officials.

“For children with life-threatening food allergies, students with special needs, and kids who might feel marginalized, the coming school year should be safer and better than any that’s come before,” State Rep. Andy Fleischmann (D – West Hartford), House Chairman of the Education Committee, said in a news release. “New laws we passed last spring should help make 2018-2019 a great school year.”

The new laws include:

Public Act No. 18-185

• Students will now be able to carry their EpiPen on the school bus and school bus drivers will be required to have baseline training for handling children with allergies

Public Act No. 18-81

• Prohibits the Governor from making unilateral midyear cuts to education spending during the current fiscal year

Public Act No. 18-24

• Requires students to study the Holocaust and other genocides

“As we begin a new school year our goals and hopes are for each child to thrive; to learn as much as they can, to achieve all they can and to grow in mind, body and spirit,” West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor said. “I am grateful and proud of the adopted legislation that protects student safety, provides stability for resources that supports educators and curriculum that teaches our students about holocaust and genocide.

“These legislative initiatives support our students health, well-being and academic success.”

State Rep. Derek Slap (D – West Hartford, Avon, Farmington) said the new legislation will “ensure fiscal stability and improved safety for our students.”

“The Holocaust and genocide education will also enhance the curriculum at public schools across the state,” Slap said. “The bottom line is that we must always be working to strengthen our schools and show our students - we are focused on their future and we believe in them.”

State Rep. Joe Verrengia (D – West Hartford) said, “Predictable and stable municipal school budgets are indispensable for a properly functioning educational system. I am pleased we took the necessary steps to ensure the integrity of funding, increase safety with expanded authorization for the use of life saving Epi-Pens and teach a new generation to reject actions like the ones that lead to the Holocaust.”

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