The City of Hartford is allocating an additional three million dollars in funding for Hartford Public Schools after the Board of Education identified a $6.7 million shortfall in its upcoming budget, but advocates and some city council members say there’s more work to be done.
“We're paying for this $3 million with a million and a half in contributions from the city of Hartford,” Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam announced on Tuesday, “and then another million and a half in guarantees from corporate and private foundations.”
The funding will save four school programs, according to Arulampalam: the school districts’ dental clinic program, the career pipeline program with Ready CT, Opportunity Youth Academy and the Community Schools program through Catholic Charities.
Arulampalam said he is optimistic the whole shortfall can be made up between this new money and additional help from the state, and Connecticut lawmakers have until June 4th to pass their budget.
“We are really hopeful that we can fill the entire gap of 6.7 million that the Board of Ed has requested of us,” Arulampalam said. “We continue to work towards that goal.”
Board of Education member Shontá Browdy released a statement with Councilman Josh Mitchtom after the mayor’s announcement, saying that they cannot accept the mayor’s promise of one-time funds as an alternative to schools budget allocation.
“It is not acceptable for the City to throw our hands up and pretend that there is nothing else we can do for our students and families,” the statement said. “If the school budget is not actually raised, we will find ourselves in this exact position next year, and quite possibly still waiting for the state to provide us solutions.”
Council members debate the future of school funding
The Hartford City Council ultimately passed the Mayor’s proposed city budget on Wednesday — but not before it continued its debate to find more funding for schools.
The council voted no on resolutions that would pull funding from the police department to put into the district. During the debate, Assistant Majority Leader Thomas J. Clarke II said the school system’s budget requires a longer conversation.
“We have a systemic issue and it goes beyond decreasing money from any particular department to go over to the Board of Ed,” Clarke II said.
Councilman Josh Michtom said every year the city council doesn’t allocate more funding for Hartford’s schools, more students fall through the cracks.
“It’s convenient to say this is a problem bigger than us and it is a problem bigger than us,” Michtom said. “But we also have some power to hold off that problem.”
In a press release from the Mayor’s office, other members of city council expressed support for the plan.
“Passing this budget is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together for the people of Hartford,” said Marilyn Rossetti, Hartford City Council Majority Leader. “The Council is proud to stand in partnership with Mayor Arulampalam and support a budget that strengthens our schools, invests in our city, and keeps us on the right track.”
Union workers seek more
Though appreciative of the additional funding, local union President John Walton of Hartford Public Schools facilities department workers said this one-time injection doesn’t address the overall issue of inflation and stagnant funding.
“It's been over a decade since the flat funding for the city has risen,” Walton said, “and it still hasn't been risen.”
Walton oversees AFSCME Local 566 which represents maintenance workers, food service workers and other trade workers within the Hartford Public School system.
According to Walton, students in urban school systems like Hartford often form relationships with non-certified personnel. Oftentimes, it’s because these are individuals that the students see in their neighborhoods, Walton said.
“Many teachers are not from the community, but [students] need these supports in order for students to really value the education they'll be taught in the school,” Walton said. “Without these relationships and the ability to form these relationships, it really hurts the support of education.”
Lack of funding last year saw the lay off of several custodian members of Local 566 which had a major impact on the maintenance of the health and safety of schools across the district, Walton said.
Walton said he remains hopeful that the city council will find a way to allocate more funding for the Hartford Public School system on an annual basis.
The president of the Hartford Federation of Teachers, Carol Gale, echoed Walton’s concerns, saying that while the additional funds are appreciated, the union believes it is not enough.
“When we cut school funding, we are hurting the experience that kids can benefit from,” Gale said. “Some examples of that might be that class sizes will increase next year, that there are less choices of classes that kids can take, because basically the funding is for the bare minimum of what is required by state law.”
According to Gale, a coalition of community members, of which the union is a part of, was requesting an additional $10 million to be able to restore teacher positions that were previously cut.
Mayor Arulampalam in his announcement Tuesday said that the city is “committed, in the long run, to working together in a united way to build stronger and better schools.”
Though Arulamapalm has reached out to the Board of Education, to the city council and to state leaders, Gale said he hasn’t done enough.
“He did not reach out to parent groups. He did not reach out to Union groups. He did not involve the community. And yet, he is calling for unity,” Gale said. “So, I would argue that if you truly want to be working in collaboration, in a unified effort. Then include the unions, the community, the parents at the table.”
Arunan Arulampalam's father-in-law is Gregory B. Butler, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of Connecticut Public.
