Proposal could eliminate tuition cuts, leaving Hartford schools with a $11M hole

The Hartford Public Schools superintendent is raising concerns that Governor Lamont’s proposed budget could mean an $11 million loss for schools across the capital city.

Dr. Leslie Torres-Rodriguez testified before lawmakers in a public hearing Wednesday in favor of House Bill 5212. It would maintain tuition caps for Connecticut public schools.

While tuition may not be something you would typically associate with a public school, in Connecticut, School Choice gives families the option to move their child to another public school district, magnet, charter or technical school.

When that happens, the public school district the child left behind pays that student’s tuition.

“We are the district that has the largest number of students that are attending schools in other districts,” Torres-Rodriguez said.

For each student that leaves Hartford Public Schools through School Choice, the district pays at least $10,000 a year in tuition, according to data from 2022. The many special education students that transfer to specialized programs could have tuition costs that are eight times as much.

Back in 2016, Hartford Public Schools paid $65 million in tuition costs for city residents attending school in other districts. Today, that figure has nearly doubled to $113 million, making up 25% of the district’s total budget, Torres-Rodriguez said.

Previously, the state legislature capped tuition costs for the upcoming fiscal year 2025 at 58% of the rates for fiscal year 2024. That gave Hartford Public Schools a savings of $11.1 million.

Now, Torres-Rodriguez worries that money will be going out the door due to Lamont’s new $26 billion budget proposal.

“There is the sunsetting of federal pandemic relief funds, along with a continual challenge that we face, which is increasing costs,” Torres-Rodriguez said. “We are facing a $56 million deficit, and as part of our budget development process, there is an 11 million figure that we're counting on.”

In his 2025 budget proposal, Lamont laid out an increase of $128 million in Education Cost Sharing, or ECS funds, for K through 12 school districts.

The governor’s budget provides Hartford Public Schools $8.9 million in ECS funds, which is a separate pot of money than the tuition spending.

As Lamont shuffles funding allocations, his proposal also increases state funding for early childhood education by $43 million.

“The ability of our K-12 education system to succeed depends in great part on the success of our early childhood education system, and we have a desperate need to expand these services,” Lamont said.

School+State Finance Project, a nonprofit, said while districts across the state could feel the impact of losing a tuition cap, Hartford would be disproportionately affected.

“They're kind of in the epicenter,” Lisa Hammersley, State+School Finance Project executive director, said.

Hartford Public Schools is paying tuition for more than 4,200 kids attending schools in other districts, according to the nonprofit’s data.

“All of the choice that occurs every year is really heartbreaking,” Hammersley said. “When you think about it, they're sending all of these resources out of district, and every year repeatedly, their kids are getting cut.”

Torres-Rodriguez said she supports early childhood education and the choice system.

However, an info-sheet from Hartford Public Schools shows just how far the $11 million in question could go. According to the district, it could fund an athletic director, more than 20 teachers, 10 counselors, 10 social workers, eight custodians and support services and programs.

“We've worked really hard over the last five years to establish opportunities for young people to feel connected through our athletic offerings,” Torres-Rodriguez said. “It means reductions in our social workers and security. These are essential. Essential human resources, if you will, that we would have to really examine and potentially reduce.”

The General Assembly would need to approve the governor’s proposed budget.