Statement on 119K Commission's Recommendations for K-12 Education

Earlier today, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) 119K Commission released a detailed strategy for addressing the state's crisis of disconnected and at-risk youth that aims to reconnect 60,000 young people over the next 10 years through education and career pathways.

The Commission's plan comes in response to a 2023 report from Dalio Education that found one in five young people in Connecticut are either in danger of dropping out of school or have already dropped out and are unemployed.

Included in the Commission's plan are recommendations to:

• Revise funding formulas for K-12 education to ensure equitable funding based on student needs;
• Strengthen K-12 accountability systems to improve student outcomes; and
• Review school facilities funding policies for opportunities to increase equity.

The School and State Finance Project released the below statement from Executive Director Lisa Hammersley supporting the 119K Commission's plan and its focus on ensuring equitable education funding for all Connecticut students. 

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The report released today by the 119K Commission is a thoughtful, collaborative, and comprehensive plan to support students, lift up communities, and build a stronger, more equitable Connecticut.
 
We strongly support the Commission’s plan and its recommendations to revise and update the state’s education funding formulas to ensure all public school students are being funded equitably and adequately.
 
We applaud the Commission for its support of student-centered funding, its proposals to reimagine and strengthen K-12 accountability systems, and its call for equitable facilities funding so all students — regardless of where they live or what their learning needs are — can attend a safe, healthy, and well-resourced school.
 
One young person left behind is too many. When 119,000 are being left behind, it should be a clarion call for our state to come together and take bold, immediate action. We sincerely thank Commission members for heeding that call and for their time, work, and dedication to laying out a vision to solve a crisis impacting every community in our state.

We look forward to working alongside Commission members, CCM, and other stakeholders from across Connecticut during the upcoming 2025 legislative session to implement the Commission's recommendations and ensure every young person in our state has the opportunity to succeed inside and outside of the classroom.

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