Reports & Publications

On February 8, 2023, Governor Ned Lamont released his recommended biennial state budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. This nonpartisan analysis details the changes to state education funding contained in the governor’s recommended budget, and provides a brief overview of the general fiscal outlook of the state budget and economy.

This one-pager details how an inflation-based adjustment to the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula's foundation amount could be implemented to mitigate the annual increasing costs of providing educational services. The potential adjustment would alleviate districts’ reliance on local sources to cover rising costs and would ensure all districts have the resources they need to properly operate their schools and provide their students with a high-quality education when economic changes occur.

This report breaks down how districts propose to spend hundreds of millions of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund dollars, provided under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, by the 2024 deadline as they continue to respond to the ongoing pandemic and its impacts on the academic and social-emotional needs of students.

Glossary compiled by the School and State Finance Project defining terms related to school funding in Connecticut.

The Excess Cost grant is the State of Connecticut’s method for sharing in the expense for students who have extraordinary special education needs and associated costs. The adjusted state budget for FY 2023 amended the Excess Cost grant's formula for reimbursement in an effort to make the grant more equitable. However, the modifications made to the grant’s allocation formula have created unforeseen issues as detailed in this policy briefing.