Connecticut lawmakers will vote in a special session next week on allocating $40 million for immediate special education funding in schools.
Eighteen percent of Connecticut students receive special education, according to state data from the 2024-25 school year. That’s up 5% since 2015-16.
Senate Majority leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) said the funding if approved, would be a 22% increase to this year's initial special education budget.
“You talk to any superintendent or Board of Education member in Connecticut, and they'll tell you that this funding is critical for them and that it'll make a huge difference this fiscal year,” Duff said.
The money is from the Excess Cost Grant program, which distributes money to municipalities with a disproportionate number of students enrolled in special education. These municipalities sometimes have to pay to send students out of the district for schooling.
“Special education presents a challenge and a challenge in equity for many towns, whether they be large or small, rich or poor, because we know that sometimes an expensive placement in a very complicated case can all of a sudden be the responsibility of a community that had not planned for it previously,” Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven) said.
One of those districts is Bridgeport. Nearly 21% of Bridgeport students receive special education, and the neighboring town, Trumbull, has 15%. The district is facing major budget deficits partly because of special education costs.
State Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox (D-Bridgeport) represents the city.
“We have a constitutional and moral obligation to support all students, especially our most vulnerable,” Gadkar-Wilcox said. “Our educators and school boards in high-needs districts do the very best they can on a limited budget, and while this injection of funds will provide some immediate relief, I am hopeful that this session, we will pass a long-term solution to these funding shortfalls.”
Gadcar-Wilcox co-chairs the new Select Committee on Special Education. She recently completed a listening tour to hear from educators and parents about what the state should do to support special education.
“One of the common themes is that they need more money,” she said.
One of Senate Democrats' priority bills this session looks to reform the state’s special education system.
The House of Representatives will vote on the funding on Monday, and the Senate will vote on Tuesday.
A request for comment from Republican Senators on the proposal was not returned.
