The Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula is the method the State of Connecticut has established to distribute over $2.36 billion annually in state education funding to local and regional public school districts. The formula is made up of several different components: the foundation, student need-based weights, the Base Aid Ratio, and the phase-in schedule.
ECS grants are calculated on an annual basis and take into account updated data that may alter previous grant estimates. As a result, actual ECS grant amounts may differ from previous projections and estimates due to changes in enrollment, student needs, and/or community wealth.
Since being passed by the General Assembly in October 2017, the ECS formula has been adjusted several times. This one-pager details the current components of the ECS formula, which was last revised during the 2023 regular legislative session.
Citation
School and State Finance Project. (2024). What's in the ECS Formula? Hamden, CT: Author. Retrieved from https://schoolstatefinance.org/resource-assets/ECS-Comparison-One-Pager.pdf.