On May 7, 2024, the General Assembly passed H.B. 5523, a budget stabilization bill that appropriates funds for fiscal year 2025 and makes a number of different policy changes to K-12 education and other areas. Along with maintaining the $150 million in additional funding for K-12 education in FY 2025 that was allotted as part of the state budget passed last year, the bill overhauls how Connecticut distributes state education funding to school districts.
Connecticut's public school districts remain deeply segregated and significant funding gaps continue to exist between districts that predominantly serve students of color and districts that largely serve White student populations. These are two of the overarching findings from this School and State Finance Project report, which examines racial disparities in Connecticut education funding.
On March 27, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act is a $2.2 trillion package that provides emergency financial assistance to: individuals; state, local, and tribal governments; nonprofit organizations, including healthcare providers; and for-profit businesses. This policy briefing and FAQ document summarize the provisions of the CARES Act that impact elementary and secondary education in the United States, and details the $138.8 million the State of Connecticut is due to receive from the federal government in formulaic grant assistance to help the State and local educational agencies (LEAs) respond to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Starting in late 2019, and in accordance with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) has published annual Public School Expenditure Reports for each local public school district, charter school district, and Regional Educational Service Center (RESC). This frequently asked questions document looks at the per-pupil expenditure information contained in these reports and how it differs from what was available previously.
The State of Connecticut has a constitutional responsibility to provide public elementary and secondary education in the state. In charge of carrying out this responsibility and ensuring the State’s educational interests are met are the Connecticut State Board of Education and Connecticut State Department of Education, along with local education agencies —including local and regional boards of education — that directly provide educational services to the state's elementary and secondary students. This frequently asked questions one-pager looks further into these roles and the entities responsible for Connecticut public education.
The State of Connecticut recently increased the level of oversight and monitoring of the finances of its 169 municipalities with the creation of the tiering system in 2017. The tiering system categorizes fiscally distressed municipalities based on their fiscal health and stability. The level of oversight and involvement by a designated statutorily created board increases as the fiscal health of a given municipality is deemed less secure. This policy briefing details this oversight, discusses the boards that oversee and work with municipalities, and examines the authority granted to these boards to improve the fiscal health of municipal finances.