Today, Governor Ned Lamont issued an executive order establishing a Blue-Ribbon Commission on Education Funding and Accountability.
The Commission is charged with undertaking a comprehensive review of Connecticut education funding and issuing recommendations by January 15, 2027 on "funding strategies, potential areas of efficiency, and accountability measures to maximize the impact of funding on student outcomes."
Lisa Hammersley, Executive Director of the School and State Finance Project, issued the following statement on the governor's executive order.
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We appreciate the governor’s executive order and always welcome thoughtful and collaborative examinations of our state’s education finance system that focus on eliminating disparities, providing equitable and adequate funding for all public schools, and ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education and the resources and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
However, the establishment of the Blue-Ribbon Commission does not replace the need to take meaningful, sustainable action this legislative session. As legislators have heard from thousands of students and taxpayers this session, Connecticut’s school districts and municipalities need help now.
Students struggling in chronically underfunded schools, and families anguishing over ever-increasing property tax bills, should not have to wait another year for potential relief. Connecticut’s communities have already waited 13 years for an adjustment to the ECS formula’s foundation level. They shouldn’t have to continue waiting.
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