NORWALK, Conn. — Education and school funding were among the key issues raised Oct. 6 during the Common Council candidate forum at Nathan Hale Middle School.
The event, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Norwalk in partnership with Norwalk Acts and Nancy on Norwalk as media sponsor, divided candidates across five district classrooms while at-large hopefuls rotated every 20 minutes to take live questions from voters.
Candidates frequently returned to one theme: whether Norwalk can sustain its schools under the state’s Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula and what role the Council should play in addressing the gap between city and Board of Education budgets.
State funding and the ECS formula
Several at-large candidates said Connecticut’s Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula fails to reflect Norwalk’s needs.
Unaffiliated candidate Chris Dwyer called for stronger advocacy in Hartford and a more organized budgeting process between the Council and Board of Education.
“We need to work with our state delegation and ensure that the ECS formula — that we’re getting what we are owed — and that our towns around us are paying their fair share,” he said. “We need to advocate for more money in Hartford and then bring it back here and have a cohesive discussion between the Council and the BOE … I would like to see a no-drama education funding year.”
Victor Coppola (R) said something similar: “We’re considered rich. But if you look around, it doesn’t quite tell the story accurately, all right, so what we need to do is get representation for Norwalk in Hartford that will truly represent us and get us our fair share of dollars.”
Democrat Josh Goldstein said regular communication with lawmakers is essential. “I make sure to be in regular communication with the state delegation, give them accurate information about what we’re looking for on the local level,” he said. “It’s important they know who their local elected officials are and that we show up to make our case.”
Goldstein added that Norwalk’s size should carry weight when state funding is allocated: “One of the most important things, especially for a city like Norwalk, is getting a bigger piece of that pie because Norwalk is the sixth-largest city in the state.”
Democrat Nicol Ayers said the inequities are visible when comparing districts. “Our biggest challenge is the fact about our school funding for the State of Connecticut,” she said. “Our ECS is woefully underfunded. Give an example — Danbury gets $4,500 per kid … we get $2,700.”
Independent Lisa Brinton linked the city’s long-term school budget strain to state policy and population growth. “The school budget’s been an issue for the 25 years I’ve lived here,” she said. “It’s been exacerbated by growth and density. Hartford doesn’t care. We are the eighth-largest contributor to income taxes … We need more ECS funding … We need to look at how we fund the school system and diversify our revenue sources.”
Republican Victor Coppola made a similar argument, saying Norwalk “sends way more dollars to Hartford than we get in return.” He said state formulas based on property values overlook Norwalk’s diverse needs. “We need representation for Norwalk in Hartford that will truly represent us and get our fair share of dollars … and get funding for our schools that way.”
City’s reliance on local taxes
A couple of candidates said the city’s dependence on property taxes continues to strain local budgets.
Doug Hempstead (R) stated that the city benefits from state aid for new construction but remains overly dependent on local revenue for operations. “We’re building two new schools on the state’s budget,” he said. “But relying on property taxes locally to fund our half-billion-dollar budget is not sustainable.”
Brinton also said diversification is key, noting that “we need to start having courageous conversations about school funding and diversifying revenue beyond 30,000 homeowners.”
Calls for collaboration and reform
Candidates from both major parties said improving the relationship between the Council, the Board of Education, and Norwalk’s state delegation is crucial to long-term stability.
Dwyer said he wanted to see a “cohesive discussion between the Council and the BOE,” while Goldstein described regular engagement with legislators as a way to make sure Norwalk’s needs are heard.
Across party lines, candidates agreed that the city’s school funding challenges require consistent advocacy in Hartford and more coordination between local bodies to ensure Norwalk receives its fair share.
This is part of a Nancy On Norwalk series on the Common Council forum at Nathan Hale Middle School. Future articles will cover additional topics raised by candidates.
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