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.
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.
This frequently asked questions document discusses fiscally independent school districts and the structural differences between school districts that are fiscally independent and those, like the vast majority of Connecticut's school districts, that are fiscally dependent.
In Connecticut, the cost per square foot for school construction, adjusted for inflation, increased 64 percent between 2000 and 2012. This report examines the costs, processes, and state funding associated with school construction in Connecticut and its peer states. The report also examines legislative changes made in 2017 to Connecticut's school construction grant program.