Of all the states that have declining enrollment, Connecticut school spending has increased the most.
As public school enrollment continues to fall in over 70 percent of Connecticut towns, expenses have actually gone up. In fact, of all the states that have declining enrollment, Connecticut’s school spending has increased the most.
Between 2008 and 2014, public school enrollment fell by nearly four percent in Connecticut. But spending has ballooned by more than 20 percent during this time – the biggest increase compared to any other state, according to data from a U.S. Census Bureau study.
So, what’s going on here? It's complicated, but Bob Rader says it's an example of the state’s commitment to public education.
“Certainly there has been a commitment by the governor and the legislature -- certainly with our support and that of our educational partners -- to ensure that there remains focus on education and ensuring that we have the best educated workforce in the country,” Rader said.
Rader is the executive director of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. When it comes to paying teachers, Rader says that cost of living has gone up in Connecticut, and so should teacher wages.
But the increase in teacher salaries has outpaced overall per-pupil spending over the last five years. Rader says that’s because Connecticut wants to attract and keep the best teachers around.
But shouldn’t expenses go down, or flatten, if there were 22,000 fewer kids in school last year than there were in 2008? That’s where things get a bit complicated.
Jonathan Costa is with Education Connection, a regional public education service. He says that Connecticut has lots of small districts that have to maintain basic services.
"You get to a point where all the efficiency has been wrung out of the system, and the program is going to be what it has to be to provide a minimum level of educational opportunity given the mandates and requirements for public" education, Costa said.
Governor Dannel Malloy signed a bill last week that gives districts more freedom to cut their budgets.
