This tax increase is due to a substantial rise in the city's educational budget. At the same time, state lawmakers continue to fall short in ensuring that Danbury receives its full share of state education aid funding.

The state allocates funds for educational assistance to school districts through the Education Cost Sharing Formula (ECS). This formula distributes money to municipalities based on various factors, including the needs of each city and its ability to fund its public school system.

According to data from the School+State Finance Project (https://files.schoolstatefinance.org/hubfs/SF101s/Danbury%20School%20Finance%20101.pdf), since the ECS formula was implemented in 2019, considering what full funding the formula required, the state has underfunded Danbury by over 109 million dollars. 

The state's lack of equitable funding significantly contributes to Danbury's current educational funding dilemma. As the city struggles to compensate for this underfunding, it must increase property taxes for residents, already concerned about the fiscal mismanagement of the school system's auditing practices. In addition, the opening of the new high school on the city's west side will significantly increase the school's budget as school overpopulation and strains on special educational services continue with no end in sight.

Ultimately, the children of Danbury's public school system are the real losers, as recent state assessment data revealed that seven out of ten students in grades three through eight underperformed on English and math tests.

Although the City of Danbury has a problem with school funding, the priority should shift from local funding to state lawmakers, who continue to fail their constituents regarding the city's receiving its fair share of state funding. 

Instead of endlessly self-congratulating themselves for the city receiving one-time sources of state aid, state lawmakers should diminish their love for self-promotion and work during the upcoming General Assembly session to make sure that the ECS formula is adjusted so that cities and towns are fully funded and not placed in a position to raise property taxes or decrease much needed educational services.