Connecticut's Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula includes a foundation amount that is intended to reflect the cost to educate a student who does not have any additional learning needs. Currently, this foundation amount is set at $11,525 per student.
However, the foundation amount is not adjusted to reflect the annual increase in expenses such as the rising costs of personnel pursuant to collective bargaining contracts, energy costs, or inflation. This is an issue impacting districts across the state and nation, and has recently generated media attention due to the high rates of inflation the country has experienced over the past two years.
This brief details how an inflation-based adjustment to the ECS formula's foundation amount could be implemented to mitigate the annual increasing costs of providing educational services. The potential adjustment would alleviate districts’ reliance on local sources to cover rising costs and would ensure all districts have the resources they need to properly operate their schools and provide their students with a high-quality education when economic changes occur.
Citation
School and State Finance Project. (2024). Adjusting the ECS Formula for Inflation. Hamden, CT: Author. Retrieved from https://schoolstatefinance.org/resource-assets/Adjusting-the-ECS-Formula-for-Inflation.pdf.