Today, the Connecticut General Assembly's Appropriations Committee passed its proposed state budget for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The budget proposal increases funding for K-12 public education by fully funding the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant and providing an additional $124 million for the Excess Cost grant to support students with extraordinary special education needs.
The School and State Finance Project released the following statement from Executive Director Lisa Hammersley in response to the Appropriations Committee's passage of its budget proposal.
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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.
The Committee’s budget makes notable and historic investments in K-12 public education that will benefit students, educators, and municipalities across the state. The budget fully funds — for the first time in state history — the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant, maintains the partial implementation of a student-centered funding formula, and builds off legislation passed last month by providing an additional $124 million in funding for the Excess Cost grant in fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
We commend the Committee for its diligent work and thank the chairpersons of the Appropriations Committee (Sen. Cathy Osten and Rep. Toni Walker) and the Education Committee (Sen. Doug McCrory and Rep. Jennifer Leeper) for their steadfast dedication and leadership.
We look forward to continuing conversations with legislative leadership on both sides of aisle, as well as Governor Lamont, to ensure Connecticut equitably and adequately invests in a public education system that meets the needs of families and communities, helps educators and schools thrive, and allows all students to reach their full potential.
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