New Haven, Connecticut – Today, April 27th, the Appropriations Committee voted out its budget for fiscal years 2016 and 2017. In response, Jeffrey Villar, Executive Director of the Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER), issued the following statement:

“We were very pleased to see that the Appropriations Committee has recommended a full restoration of the funding for priority school grants, which will assist our neediest districts through measures such as increased learning time. The Committee also allocated new funding for the educations of English as a Second Language (ESL) and bilingual students. In addition, the Committee has provided funding for districts to phase in full-day kindergarten. All three of these initiatives play an important role in narrowing Connecticut’s achievement gap.

“However, we are disappointed that there has been a reduction in the school accountability grant and funding for school choice options for children and families.

“As our Legislature seeks to finalize our budget, we encourage them to continue to prioritize education. Connecticut’s students deserve nothing less.”

About the Connecticut Council for Education Reform

The Connecticut Council for Education Reform (CCER)–a statewide, non-partisan, 501(c)(3) not- for-profit organization–works to close the achievement gap and raise academic outcomes for all students in Connecticut. The achievement gap is the disparity in academic achievement between children from low-income families and children of color, and their peers. We advocate for state policies and local practices that research shows have the best chance of raising achievement for high-need student populations.

For more information on CCER, go to www.ctedreform.org