During its 2025 regular legislative session, the Connecticut General Assembly made a number of changes to how the State funds special education, including the creation of a new formulaic grant to support special education services.
District Reference Groups (DRGs) are a classification system that groups local and regional public school districts together based on the similar socioeconomic characteristics and status of their students. Developed by the Connecticut State Department of Education, the DRGs have not been officially updated since they were first released in 2006. Although not for official use, the School and State Finance Project has replicated the DRGs using updated data and the same methodology and variables as the original DRGs.
This frequently asked questions document covers the 2023 legislative change made to the kindergarten entry age in Connecticut and what this change means for the state’s students, families, districts, and childcare providers.
The Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula is used by the State of Connecticut to distribute approximately $2.36 billion annually in state education funding. This infographic breaks down the ECS formula and provides an easy-to-understand look at how it is used to provide state funding to Connecticut's local and regional public school districts.
This interactive graphic explores the process a bill before the Connecticut General Assembly must go through to become law if it has an associated cost to the State. This cost is known as a "fiscal note" and can create some additional steps for bills to take before they ultimately pass the legislature.
Curious how a bill becomes a law in Connecticut? This interactive graphic details each step of the legislative process and makes it easier to follow along as bills progress during legislative sessions.