CT HB05565

Establishes minimum education budget requirements for fiscal years 2014 and 2015, requiring towns to budget at least the prior year's appropriation plus any state aid increases, effective July 1, 2014.

Allows districts to reduce budgets by up to one-half of one percent based on declining student enrollment (calculated at $3,000 per student), tuition costs for high school students, or documented savings from operational efficiencies and regional collaborations.

Permits the Commissioner of Education to approve additional budget reductions for districts that permanently closed schools due to declining enrollment in fiscal years 2011-2013.

Requires alliance districts to meet minimum local funding percentages, with commissioner discretion to allow reductions if local contributions increase compared to prior year.

Adds new restrictions for fiscal year 2015: towns with both local and regional school district appropriations cannot reduce local district budgets by more than one-half of one percent due to regional district changes, and districts that exceeded the one-half percent reduction in 2014 must restore budgets to 2013 levels plus state aid increases in 2015.