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.
This policy briefing provides a summary of the academic research on the benefits and drawbacks of state-led efforts to encourage, or require, school districts with low enrollments or density to consolidate. Consolidation of school districts has existed throughout the 20th century. Between 1940 and 2013, the number of school districts in the United States decreased from approximately 117,000 to approximately 14,000. This policy briefing also summarizes Vermont’s school district consolidation efforts with a specific focus on the content and impact of Act 46, passed in 2015, and Act 49, passed in 2017.