Reports & Publications

This report breaks down how districts propose to spend hundreds of millions of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund dollars, provided under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, by the 2024 deadline as they continue to respond to the ongoing pandemic and its impacts on the academic and social-emotional needs of students.

Glossary compiled by the School and State Finance Project defining terms related to school funding in Connecticut.

The Excess Cost grant is the State of Connecticut’s method for sharing in the expense for students who have extraordinary special education needs and associated costs. The adjusted state budget for FY 2023 amended the Excess Cost grant's formula for reimbursement in an effort to make the grant more equitable. However, the modifications made to the grant’s allocation formula have created unforeseen issues as detailed in this policy briefing.

The School and State Finance Project has compiled a comprehensive history of changes to the state's school finance system. The history spans from 1927 to present day and highlights significant policy changes, court cases, task forces, and events that have shaped the way Connecticut funds its public schools.

The Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula is the method the State of Connecticut has established to distribute approximately $2 billion annually in state education funding. The ECS formula is used exclusively to provide state funding to local and regional public school districts. In October 2017, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a new ECS formula, which began being implemented in fiscal year 2019. Additional revisions to the ECS formula were made as part of Connecticut’s biennial state budget for FYs 2022 and 2023, and the budget adjustments for FY 2023. This one-pager compares the components of the ECS formula that was updated in 2021 and the most recent revisions to the formula.