School Readiness: A Budget Update

This report evaluates funding proposals by the Governor and the Appropriations Committee for the School Readiness initiative, which helps families in Connecticut’s poorest towns afford quality preschool. Both the Governor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2009 budget and the Appropriations budget proposal would reduce total funding for School Readiness, though the Appropriations Committee budget would reduce funds by a lesser amount. Without clarification in the language of the Appropriations Committee budget proposal, it is not clear if School Readiness providers will get an increase in their low provider rates. In addition, the current Appropriations Committee budget includes an addition error that would mean that the Department of Social Services’ School Readiness budget would fall $55,000 short.