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.
This frequently asked questions document covers the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund and the federal aid it has provided to states and school districts as part of the stimulus and relief packages passed by Congress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This policy briefing provides an overview of the process state education agencies and local education agencies must follow to access their allocated Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund dollars under each of the federal coronavirus relief and stimulus acts.
School accountability is the process of evaluating school performance on the basis of student performance measures. These measures determine the ability of a state, district, and school to successfully prepare students for college, work, and life. This policy briefing examines the systems of school and district accountability that currently exist in public education in Connecticut. This policy briefing also explains what school accountability is, gives a brief summary of the history of school accountability, provides an overview of Connecticut’s current systems of school accountability, and details school accountability grants currently available.
On December 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed Public Law 116-260, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA), which is the second stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Congress in response to the coronavirus pandemic. This policy briefing outlines the amounts and eligible uses of education aid provided by the CRRSA Act to states, analyzes how the CRRSA Act compares to the CARES Act, and details how the CRRSA Act impacts education in Connecticut.
Overcoming Connecticut's fiscal challenges to produce a balanced budget that maintains service levels and fulfills policy objectives requires creative solutions. Examining the state’s non-appropriated accounts for possible resource reallocation opportunities is one potential solution. The purpose of this policy briefing is to provide insight on what non-appropriated accounts are, how these accounts fit into the state’s budgeting process, and how including non-appropriated accounts in the budget development process can have the potential to help address Connecticut’s fiscal challenges.