To The Editor:

I call attention to Mitch Bolinsky’s letter published two weeks ago where he nailed it on the deliberate and politically motivated underfunding of the Educational Cost Sharing (ECS) program since 2013. Newtown is the loser.

ECS was the state’s response to Horton v. Meskill, the CT Supreme Court decision in 1977 holding that funding all education expenses from the towns was unconstitutional. The state had to share the costs.

The ECS formula is incredibly complex. Factors include poverty levels, number of students etc. No town is able to change the amount which it receives relative to all the other towns in the state without a significant change in the formula.

Mitch wrote “Fact: The Governor and Democrat leadership have frozen the state’s Educational Cost Sharing (ECS) ‘foundation’ grants since 2013.” Foundation grants are the per pupil part of the formula.

From 2013 to today the state set $11,525 per pupil. Without the freeze the grant per pupil today would be $16,000 according to the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM). The freeze has shifted “more than $820 million” in costs from the state to the towns since 2013. Thank you, Democratic governors Malloy and Lamont.

Freezing the “income” to towns at 2013 levels in the face of major increases on the expense side (inflation) is incredibly cynical.

And, which party was in control of the legislature in 2013 when the cynical freeze occurred? Democrats. They have controlled the legislative branch ever since.

And, which party do you think is going to attempt to rectify that 2013 freeze decision in the 2027 legislative session, Democrats or Republicans?

Re-elect Mitch Bolinsky to another term. He will actually work for Newtown.

Robert H. Hall

Newtown