Southington Faces $3.2 Million Fine For Cutting School Spending

SOUTHINGTON, CT - Southington is one of six towns in the state that is being warned by the governor's office that it will face big fines if it doesn't reinstate funding to the town's school budget. Southington, according to the governor's office, faces a $3.2 million fine.

After the governor cut nearly $60 million at the end of last year from school funding across the state, districts were told they were in danger of losing even more funding if they cut more funding than the governor's office said is allowed to compensate.

Southington, along with Killingly, Groton, Watertown, Canterbury and Montville have been told they cut too much and now face fines if they don't replenish the school budgets.

In a letter to Southington School Superintendent Timothy Connellan, the governor's office said the 2017-2018 Southington Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR) is currently in noncompliance by $1.62 million.

The letter goes on to state: "Based on the current shortfall, the reduction to the ECS grant would equal $3,252,796 (double the amount of the noncompliance)."

The letter goes on to state: "The State Board of Education may waive such forfeiture if the town agrees to appropriate to the Board of Education in 2019-20 an amount in excess of the MBR that is at least equal to the penalty."