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.
As Donald Trump fleshes out his promise to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, experts suggest that Connecticut schools would be somewhat insulated from federal policy shifts, but still vulnerable to spending cuts that could arise in the president-elect’s next term.
A broad coalition of advocates and local officials is prepared to push for large increases in K-12 education funding during the coming legislative session, even as Gov. Ned Lamont remains reluctant to commit to major new investments.
Educators, municipal leaders, and other advocates gathered Thursday at Hillhouse High School to demand that the state government adjust its Educational Cost Sharing formula to provide more funding for public schools to help reach disconnected youth and meet the increased needs of students.
Connecticut municipal leaders and educators want Gov. Ned Lamont and lawmakers to adjust the state’s 2017 fiscal guardrails next year. They say it’s needed to allow for more state money to be spent on K-12 public education.
Education advocates are calling on state lawmakers to increase funding for Connecticut school districts. They say it is necessary to help at-risk youth succeed.