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.
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 convened for a special legislative session in November 2025. While education funding was not a primary focus of the session, policy changes were passed impacting students, schools, and communities.
In 2024, the Connecticut General Assembly passed legislation that expanded the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula to include more students participating in various public school choice programs. However, because of how this change was implemented, state grant formulas for school choice programs depend on the ECS formula definitions in state statute but in inconsistent ways.
The Special Education and Expansion Development (SEED) grant provides dedicated state funding to school districts for educating students with disabilities. This infographic provides an overview of the SEED grant, how it is calculated, and for what purposes grant funds may be used.
To help increase student achievement in Connecticut’s lowest-performing districts and schools, the Connecticut General Assembly has appropriated funds to support Alliance District and Priority School District grants. This policy briefing outlines what Alliance Districts and Priority School Districts are, and details the process these districts must follow to receive their grant funding and how they are allowed to use the grants.