As districts work to meet increasing student needs and maintain high-quality educational programs, the purchasing power of state and local dollars has eroded under the cumulative effects of persistent inflation. To understand how rising costs are impacting students and teachers in the classroom, we conducted interviews with leaders across 18 school districts.
The Connecticut General Assembly has periodically created “revenue diversions” in state statute. A “revenue diversion” is established when the General Assembly diverts a portion of revenue, which would otherwise be deposited into the General Fund, to a different fund or account. Revenue diversion statutes are explicit in the amount of revenue that is diverted, established as either a percentage of total revenue or a flat dollar amount, along with a description of what the diverted revenue will support. Once established in state statute, revenue diversions exist in perpetuity unless adjusted by the General Assembly.