Source: Don Stacom, Hartford Courant
With the imminent influx of millions of dollars in federal aid, some Connecticut communities are already looking at how to protect themselves from shortfalls when the money stops flowing in a couple of years.
State leaders suggest a twofold approach: Focus on initiatives that can demonstrate success, and avoid making long-term commitments — such as creating tenured jobs in the schools.
In a meeting between municipal leaders and Gov. Ned Lamont on Tuesday, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker asked what towns and cities are supposed to do when the $2.8 billion in federal COVID-19 relief monies run out in two years.
State Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker replied that school systems are trying to design new summer learning programs and classroom improvements in ways that don’t create permanent ongoing costs.
“They’re being strategic in how they’re doing hiring around it,” she said.
Some communities, for instance, want to bring on more teachers or social workers to help with a one- or two-year transition back to in-person classes. But they’re looking for ways to do that without taking on the long-term financial burden of adding more tenured faculty to the payroll.
“But I also believe that you use this time well — and then we can show results at the end of this. It positions us well to say ‘These are the things that work’ and then others will say ‘Let’s fund what works,’” Russell-Tucker said.
Separate from the aid that towns and cities will get, Connecticut’s school systems are in line to share more than $1 billion in federal COVID-19 relief aid. That comes largely with the requirement that the money be spent within the next two years.
Also, the money cannot be used to pay routine bills for existing programs; instead, the intent it to create improvements and extra services to help students who fell behind academically, emotionally and socially because of the pandemic.
The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities hosted Tuesday’s meeting so municipal leaders and Lamont’s administration can talk this year about the most effective way to use the funds.
“We have an historic opportunity with resources coming from the federal government on a scale we haven’t seen in generations,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said. “It’s critically important that we use these resources well. We have to think hard and strategically about the opportunity for partnership.”
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Lamont used the opportunity to make a pitch for cooperation between municipalities and the state on summertime learning camps.
The state government will use $11 million of federal aid to fund camps and programs designed to get youngsters caught up from lost education over the past year. It’s hoping towns and local school systems will pitch in with money and services.
“We can take care of, say, 24,000 kids across the state with the $11 million that we’re putting up,” Lamont said. “But if we can do this in association with mayors and superintendents, we can take care of every kid whose been left behind over this last year.”
Lamont said he sees three chief goals for federal aid, saying “Our big priority is to come out of this stronger as a state, our big priority is economic growth and development, and our big priority is economic opportunity for everybody.”