U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro speaks with students at the Prendergast School in Ansonia.
ANSONIA – U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro visited students in Ansonia Monday (May 2) to tout a windfall of federal funding for low-income and special needs students.
DeLauro, who is the U.S. House Appropriations Committee chairwoman, shared the good news with students at Prendergast School about securing $17.5 billion (an increase of $1 billion) for Title I Grants in the 2022 federal spending package, along with $14.5 billion for special education (a $448 million increase).
DeLauro was joined by Mayor David Cassetti, Superintendent of Schools Joe DiBacco, state Rep. Kara Rochelle and various other local city and school officials to celebrate what DeLauro dubbed “transformative investments in education.”
“As a result of the pandemic, our schools have endured widening achievement gaps, understaffed schools, increased student mental health needs and exacerbated economic disparities,” DeLauro said. “All students, no matter their zip code or family income, deserve access to high-quality public education. This year’s federal spending package includes the largest increase to the Title I program in more than a decade. I am proud that this investment takes critical steps to direct funding where it is needed most.”
It’s unclear how much money Ansonia schools will receive.
Ansonia, like neighboring Derby, traditionally struggles to fund education. Special education is especially tough because it’s expensive, and the federal government promised funding decades ago but never followed through.
But officials said any increase in federal aid is a good thing.
“When I saw the final numbers from the 2022 Federal Spending Package, I was left speechless, and that rarely happens,” DiBacco said. “This is monumental funding that you see once in a lifetime. This immense increase to Title I has a direct impact on the support we are able to provide to students, especially in the area of early literacy. Title I funding impacts our ability to provide early intervention for our youngest learners and the special education funding will help increase our excess cost funding for those students placed out of district.”
Ansonia has three Title I schools, Prendergast, Mead and Ansonia Middle School, and currently has 466 special needs students, with tuition costs ranging anywhere from $80,000-$165,000 per child, for out-of-district costs, according to Cassetti.
“We are forever grateful to Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro for recognizing that every one of our Ansonia children deserves a fair and decent education,” Cassetti said.
According to DeLauro, the Title I program provides federal assistance to local educational agencies and schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet state academic standards and school educational goals. Title I is the single largest federal education program and gives schools the tools they need to safeguard historically underserved students and communities.
Prior to holding a press conference in the Prendergast School gym, DeLauro visited a pair of classrooms to ask students firsthand what they need to succeed. Several kindergarten students in teacher Amanda Bartone’s class said they could use paper, books and pencils – another shouted “money.”
Over in teacher Michelle Hunt’s second grade class, the inquisitive bunch said they would love to have computers with touch screens and faster Internet speed.
DeLauro was charmed by the students’ honest and direct answers.
“It’s so wonderful to come and visit with students, as they have no agenda and they answer so honestly and so deep in their guts,” DeLauro said.
