FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Duanecia Clark, Chief Strategy & Communications Officer
FaithActs for Education
646-522-7121
FaithActs for Education responds to Governor Lamont’s budget announcement with cautious optimism — and a clear signal that accountability does not end when the session does
HARTFORD, CT — Children in Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven moved closer to the education funding they deserve today. Governor Lamont’s announcement of a significant increase in state aid for municipalities — including a $170 million increase in education funding — is a significant step from his original proposed flat funding and meaningful progress toward the equity those children have long been owed. FaithActs for Education, the faith-rooted organizing coalition that spent the entire 2026 legislative session pressing for this outcome, called the announcement a victory for Connecticut’s kids and a proof point for what organized communities can accomplish when they build power and demand change. FaithActs also cautions that state leaders are still far from fully funding our schools and should anticipate continued pressure and accountability beyond legislative session.
How Connecticut Got Here
FaithActs entered the 2026 legislative session with a clear campaign: “Find the Funds or Forfeit the Future.” The demands were built around children — a meaningful, equitable increase in how Connecticut funds education in its highest-need communities, targeted relief for municipalities like Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven, and a guarantee that funding would reach students across every school type. The strategy was equally clear: put organized faith communities in front of decision-makers, repeatedly and powerfully, until the children in their congregations could no longer be ignored.
Over the course of the session, FaithActs members and their pastors made dozens of trips to the Legislative Office Building. They delivered testimony before the Appropriations Committee and the Education Committee. They met directly with House Speaker Matt Ritter and other legislative leaders. They organized member calls and constituent contact campaigns targeting key legislators, including Sen. Looney, Sen. Rep. Duff, Sen. McCrory, Rep. Walker, and Rep. Leeper. On March 4, FaithActs, in coalition with local leaders, educators, students, and education advocates, convened a major advocacy day at the Capitol representing 11 districts — generating earned media coverage, including a WTNH/News 8 appearance — making visible the community demand that education equity could not be deferred again.
When the primary legislative vehicles for education funding reform were folded into the broader budget process, FaithActs adapted without breaking stride. The campaign shifted its pressure directly onto the budget negotiation and returned to the Capitol on April 22 for a final Legislative Action Day, putting organized community voice in front of decision-makers at the most critical moment in the budget timeline. Today’s announcement reflects what that sustained presence produced.
“This is about children. Children in Bridgeport who are sitting in schools that have been underfunded for decades. Children in Hartford and New Haven whose futures depend on whether Connecticut is serious about equity or just serious about saying it. Today, the state took a real step. Our members made sure that step happened by refusing to let their leaders forget who was watching.”
— Jamilah Prince-Stewart, Chief Executive Officer, FaithActs for Education
A Win With Work Still Ahead
FaithActs welcomed today’s announcement and was equally direct about what accountability looks like from here. The organization has committed to monitoring closely how funding flows to its three cities — and across school types. FaithActs represents families whose children attend district public schools, charter schools, and magnet schools across Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. A budget commitment that does not reach every type of school is not a commitment to every child. FaithActs will be pressing in the coming days and weeks for city-specific and school-type-specific breakdowns to be made public as the budget is finalized.
“ The Faith Votes campaign that activates our 8,000 committed voters is not a November program. It is a year-round accountability infrastructure. The legislators who heard from our members at the Capitol this session, in their offices, and in their districts — they will hear from those same members as we head into election season. The question we will be asking is simple: did you deliver for our children? Today is a step toward yes. We will be watching to make sure it holds.”
— Rev. William McCullough, Founder, FaithActs for Education
FaithActs was clear that today’s announcement is the beginning of an accountability process, not the end of one. The governor and legislative leadership are far from fully funding public schools. The organization will monitor how education dollars flow to Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven, press for public transparency on city-specific allocations, and track whether every school type serving children in those communities receives its fair share. As Connecticut moves into election season, FaithActs’ FaithVotes infrastructure — 8,000+ committed voters across 100+ congregations — will measure elected officials against the commitments made and kept during this session.
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About FaithActs for Education
We are people of faith building power to get our children the education they deserve. We believe that every child deserves an opportunity to graduate from college, take care of their family, and fulfill their God-given potential. We build relationships, we build leaders, and we build power through community organizing and civic engagement
