The nation’s first report card since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed unprecedented declines in student performance in math and reading, with fourth and eighth grade students last year scoring at the lowest levels in two decades. While every state experienced declines in performance as a result of pandemic-induced learning loss, Connecticut’s results stand out.

Education advocates and officials said the gap largely comes down to whether cities and towns can fund teaching and learning in their districts on their own, without needing to rely heavily on state and federal money to offset funding gaps.

Hearst's multi-part report found that wealthy communities dominate poorer ones across sports, with one particularly successful town having won more state titles over the past decade than the 10 poorest towns and cities combined. Of the seven schools with the most championships during that period, all but one came from one of the state's wealthiest suburbs.

With over $1 billion in COVID funding available to school districts, a new report by The School and State Finance Project, ConnCAN, and FutureEd found more than 50% is going toward hiring and training staff, while 20% is being used to address learning loss.

A bill that would have enhanced state funding for all types of public elementary and secondary schools bogged down this spring amid fears that it would force primary education and early childhood development programs to compete for the same dollars.