Connecticut increased funding for struggling school districts through its Alliance District program by nearly 52 percent for the 2014-15 school year compared with last year, according to a press release from Gov. Dannel Malloy.
Through the Alliance District program, an initiative to help school districts that have historically been low-performing, the state made available nearly $133 million in funding for 30 districts, including four in Fairfield County.
Bridgeport will receive about $14.7 million this year, compared with about $9.5 million last academic year. Danbury will receive close to $6.7 million this school year, up from $4.4 million last year. Norwalk will get about $1.2 million, up from $904,066, and Stamford will receive about $2.6 million, up from $1.9 million.
The state has invested nearly $260 million in high-need districts through the Alliance District program since it was created in 2012, including support for early literacy instruction and full-day kindergarten.
All of the schools in the Alliance District program are required to submit turnaround plans for state approval. One of the requirements this year was that districts come up with a literacy plan for kindergarten through third grade.
The state reported that common themes among the districts’ improvement plans included ensuring students regularly attend class, coaching and training educators, and engaging families in their students’ education.
