The condition of a school building can significantly impact the school experience and learning environment of the students being educated within its walls. A student’s ability to learn can be drastically affected if their school lacks its own dedicated facility, occupies a building built decades ago with now unsafe materials, is visibly deteriorating with leaks or falling structures, or has subpar air quality or insufficient heating and cooling systems.
Improving School Construction Grant Program Reimbursement & Eligibility
While the State of Connecticut shares in the cost of facilities for public school students, the amount of financial support — and the method by which those funds are provided and accessed — varies depending on the location and type of public school.
We're working to change this by implementing a single, needs-based facilities funding formula and process that provides equitable state aid for public school building projects and upgrades regardless of school type, operator, or location.
As part of this work, we're focused not only on ensuring the equitable distribution of state dollars for school facility and capital improvements, but also on implementing a fair, efficient process by which state funds can be accessed and used to improve students' learning environments.
Overview: Improving Connecticut's School Construction Grant Program
District Repair & Improvement Program (DRIP)
Connecticut does not currently provide state funding for minor capital improvements in public schools with the school construction grant program only reimbursing districts for major construction or renovations.
Without state support, the cost of minor repairs falls entirely on local taxpayers, leaving critical projects in lower-wealth districts unaddressed and impacting students’ learning environments and experiences. Minor repairs left unaddressed can escalate into significant issues and compromise the condition of school facilities, resulting in higher long-term expenses.
That's why we're working to create a District Repair & Improvement Program (DRIP) to provide school districts with funds for minor infrastructure projects. By providing predictable and sustainable funding, DRIP would help districts:
- Proactively maintain facilities to avoid costly repairs.
- Ensure students learn in safe, modern, and well-maintained school buildings.
- Preserve resources for classroom instruction and student support.
Overview: District Repair & Improvement Program (DRIP)
