For the second time in just over a week, the Connecticut General Assembly has approved greater funding for special education. Today, the legislature passed H.B. 7163, which will provide an additional $40 million in funding in the current fiscal year (FY 2025) for the special education Excess Cost grant.
While Connecticut ranks among states with the highest levels of education spending, most of that does not derive from the state itself but from municipal budgets.
We appreciate the Appropriations Committee’s thoughtful budget proposal and applaud its continued commitment to Connecticut’s students, especially at a time when school districts, communities, and families are facing significant financial uncertainty.
For the second time in just over a week, the Connecticut General Assembly has approved greater funding for special education. Today, the legislature passed H.B. 7163, which will provide an additional $40 million in funding in the current fiscal year (FY 2025) for the special education Excess Cost grant.
While the additional funding for the Excess Cost grant offers immediate, much-needed support to communities, we know much more work remains.
The School and State Finance Project released the following statement from Executive Director Lisa Hammersley in response to the governor's budget and proposed education funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.