Budget Snapshot: Education Funding in House Republicans' Budget for FYs 2024 and 2025

On May 2, 2023, the Connecticut General Assembly’s House Republican Caucus put forward its biennial state budget proposal for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. Included in the proposed budget are policy changes and proposed appropriations to support K-12 public education.

This analysis details the changes to state K-12 education funding contained in the House Republicans' proposed budget and how they impact students and school across Connecticut. Below are some of the key education policies and funding changes proposed in the House Republicans' budget.

• Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding is increased by approximately $54.9 million in FY 2024 and $246 million in FY 2025 over current funding levels.
  
  
• ECS formula’s phase-in schedule is accelerated in FY 2025 to “speed up” funding (50% of balance).
  
  
• Towns considered "overfunded" according to the ECS formula, which are currently scheduled to receive decreases in their ECS grants for FYs 2024 and 2025, would be "held harmless" and receive their FY 2023 funding amounts for both fiscal years instead.
  
  
• Excess Cost grant is fully funded to support students with extraordinary special education needs and associated costs.
  
  
• Open Choice program is reduced by $5.6 million in FY 2024 and $4.6 million in FY 2025.
  
  
• Funding for state charter schools is increased by $3 million in FY 2024 and $9 million is provided in FY 2025 for new charter schools in Danbury, Middletown, New Haven, and Norwalk.