GOP leader's schools only town to lose funds

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The Republican leader of the House of Representatives on Tuesday questioned why his hometown of Norwalk has the only school district to lose education funding under Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's revised budget proposal unveiled last week.

Rep. Lawrence Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, and two other Republican members of the Norwalk delegation accused Malloy of breaking his promise not to cut education aid to any city or town, after learning the shoreline city would ultimately lose $72,000 in state assistance.

"Not a good start on this bipartisan effort," said Cafero, referring to Malloy's wide-ranging education reform plan for this year's legislative session. "I'm not going to take it personally. It is what it is."

While Norwalk receives an additional $577,000 in funding from the Educational Cost Sharing grant — the largest state aid program for public schools — Malloy's budget scraps language added in 2007 that provides Norwalk with an additional $650,000 grant. Cafero said that provision was added, with the blessing of the Democratic leadership of the General Assembly, because Norwalk was receiving less money than it should have under the complicated formula. Norwalk, he said, has a robust tax base but still has pockets of poverty.

Roy Occhiogrosso, Malloy's senior advisor, maintained that Malloy has kept his word and that no town, including Norwalk, will lose ECS funding next year. Malloy's revised $20 billion budget for the new fiscal year beginning July 1 adds $50 million to the ECS grant.

"The provision Rep. Cafero is referring to came about as part of a back-room budget deal he cut with Governor (M. Jodi) Rell," said Occhiogrosso, referring to the former Republican governor. "As a result of that deal, he was promised that Norwalk would be treated differently than the other 168 cities and towns. What he promised in return is a question you'll have to ask him."

Cafero denied there was any back-room deal.

"There was no promise of anything," he said. "It was a recognition by the group it was the fair thing to do."

Cafero and Reps. Gail Lavielle, R-Wilton, and Terrie Woods, R-Darien, said they plan to work with the majority Democrats in the General Assembly to "correct this mistake" in Malloy's budget proposal.

The provision that was scrapped by Malloy doesn't mention the city of Norwalk by name, but requires the State Board of Education to allocate $650,000 "to the town ranked sixth when all towns are ranked from highest to lowest in population, based on the most recent federal decennial census."