Tell CT Legislators: Update the Foundation Amount & Fully Fund Special Education!

Connecticut has made historic progress in education funding — adding over $600 million in the last five years. But we still have work to do.

While this is certainly an accomplishment to celebrate, we still have work to do to ensure every student—no matter their zip code—has access to equitable resources. With massive bipartisan support and the overwhelming support of teachers, families, students, mayors, and coalitions across the state, updating our education funding must be a priority this session.

First, the foundation amount needs to be updated. Connecticut's $11,525 per-student figure hasn't been updated since 2013 and was never grounded in actual cost analysis. While both bills take a step in the right direction, the phased-in approach starts too low and moves too slowly — districts cannot wait. We support both bills, but urge the Committee to accelerate the phase-in timeline and set the foundation amount at $16,000 now then add the inflation adjustment moving forward to ensure districts have what they need to serve students. 

Additionally, Connecticut's high reliance on local property taxes creates significant inequities. Tuition billing—where towns must pay neighboring districts when students attend schools outside their home district—places disproportionate burdens on property-poor communities. This practice exacerbates funding gaps and makes it harder for districts to plan their budgets effectively. We must end tuition billing.

Second, special education students still need full funding. Last session, Connecticut created the Special Education Expansion and Development (SEED) grant to provide dedicated state funding for students with disabilities. If fully funded, the SEED grant would allocate more than $190 million to school districts annually. However, the state budget allocated only $30 million for the current biennium, and this funding is not guaranteed going forward, leaving districts to receive just 15.7% of what they're entitled to. We're also calling for more flexibility within the grant to allocate these dollars for special education services.

Third, the Excess Cost grant also requires full funding. This grant reimburses districts for special education costs that exceed 4.5 times the average per student spending in the previous year. While authorized at over $200 million annually, we are more than $100 million short of fully funding it, forcing districts to absorb these high costs from their general budgets.

Our students with disabilities deserve the full investment the law promises them. It is more pivotal now than ever for Connecticut to build on our funding progress. Contact CT House and Senate leadersip today and urge them to update the foundation amount to $16,000 and add an inflation adjustment moving forward, and fully fund the SEED and Excess Cost grant for special education.