Each and every year the State Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant becomes a major bone of contention in the local budgeting process in many Connecticut towns. The question is always the same. Is ECS funding—especially any increase—making its way into the BOE budget, or is a chunk of it going to fill the proverbial pothole? With a couple of easily obtained facts and very little math, you can figure out whether a proposed or appropriated BOE budget includes some or all of any new state money.
Here is a list of the handful of readily obtainable numbers you will need to check this in your own town, and an example from my town of East Hartford.
Information available locally:
- 2007-2008 BOE Budget* $80.34 Million*
- 2008-2009 BOE Budget* $82.10 Million*
Information available from the State Department of Education (May be available locally if town/school officials have previously requested it from SDE):
- 2007-2008 ECS Grant $39.95 Million
- 2008-2009 Preliminary ECS Grant $41.71 Million
*Does not include town provided services called in-kind which may increase the actual total cost of education in many towns each year.
Budget increase: $1.76 Million
ECS increase: $1.76 Million
Tax Relief: $0.00
The BOE Budget increase is exactly equal to the ECS increase for 2008-09. Note that even with the entire increase being passed through, the BOE budget is only going up a very modest 2.2%–which I think is the real question for my town and for yours as well. Most BOE budgets will increase by at least the size of the ECS increase—often by much more. So do the math, make the ECS question go away, and focus your effort on the critical issue. Is the BOE budget, with or without new ECS, going to do the job or not?
2 responses so far ↓
Chuck McCarthy // March 26, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Now that we are officially in the “lean” years, our townsfolks look only to one thing - their taxes. Last year they cut the town and BOE budget so as to obtain no increase in their property taxes. Our result was a 0.78% increase. If necessary, they would have gone down to the 0.42% increase dictated by the ECS required increase. With little additional ECS funding coming in again this year ($50k) the taxes will have to increase just to cover COLA and our salary increases. Without additional funding from the state, local property taxes drive what we get not the education requirements.
Christine // March 27, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I would like to add that BOE’s have to be careful about what ECS number they use. With the state budget due out so early this year, they may have firmer estimates by the time the town votes on a budget, but most of the time the state hasn’t passed a budget yet and BOE’s are left guessing what the ECS estimate will be. Would you suggest the towns use the governor’s budget numbers proposed in February? And if the ECS comes in higher after a town passes a budget, does the ECS funding get passed through to the BOE or does the town get to keep it in their general fund?
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