State education officials outline monitoring plans, new special‑education rules and $30 million in aid

Connecticut State Department of Education officials presented an overview of the agency’s integrated monitoring work, recent public acts affecting special education and new funding during the Sept. 24 meeting of the Connecticut State Special Education Advisory Council.

“Today I’m gonna share a little bit about our integrated monitoring activities for the year ahead,” Special Education Division Director Brian Klimkiewicz told the council, describing universal monitoring, cyclical cohorts and three tiers of intervention the department uses to review local education agencies.

Klimkiewicz said the department groups districts into three cohorts using a formula that balances size and geography, and that districts may be pulled into off‑cycle reviews through a credible‑allegation process. He described tier 1 as universal activities that touch every district annually, tier 2 as more focused work for roughly half of a cohort, and tier 3 as the most intensive support, including randomly selected, unannounced on‑site visits required by legislation.

The department summarized several statutory changes enacted in the most recent legislative session. Among the items highlighted:

- The developmental‑delay primary disability category used for young children now has an age‑limit change in guidance the department described; districts must ensure re‑evaluations occur before the child’s ninth birthday if the primary category remains developmental delay. The department said, however, that planning and placement teams may change a student’s disability category earlier as appropriate.

- Approved private special‑education programs and regional education service centers (RESCs) are subject to new requirements for notification to the department about staff vacancies or changes and, beginning with the 2027 school year, will be incorporated into the department’s unannounced site‑visit process.

- Districts may not be charged higher tuition midyear by a charging entity (for example, approved private programs or RESCs) once base tuition rates are set at the school year’s start unless the charging entity appeals and the department grants an allowance; the department asked districts to notify it if they receive midyear cost‑increase notices.

- Before placing a student out of district for challenging behavior the district must conduct a functional behavior assessment (FBA) and, where required, an updated behavior intervention plan (BIP). If safety concerns make an FBA or BIP impossible, districts must notify the department within two days and explain the safety justification.

Klimkiewicz also summarized statewide data: special‑education prevalence continued to inch higher this year while total student enrollment fell, producing an increased prevalence rate; inclusion measures (Indicator 5a) improved compared with the prior year but have not returned to pre‑pandemic levels; and for the seventh consecutive year the percentage of students sent out of district declined, although Connecticut remains high compared with other states.

On funding, Klimkiewicz said the legislature allocated $30 million for a Special Education Enhancement Grant to be distributed directly to local districts via the existing ECS formula. He described the allocation as aimed at supporting local services but noted implementation details will be managed through the department’s grant processes.

Council members asked that the department distribute slide decks and further detail in follow‑up materials. Missy Wrigley, council chair, and others asked the department to clarify timing for cohort monitoring and to provide the written guidance referenced during the presentation so members can review specifics before the council’s executive committee meets.

Why this matters: the monitoring schedule and the new statutory steps change how districts must document services, respond to staffing changes at approved programs and make placement decisions for students with challenging behavior. The $30 million grant and the department’s monitoring priorities influence how districts allocate staff and program resources in the coming school year.

Looking ahead: the department said it will share the district determination results and the full slide deck, and council members requested a longer follow‑up discussion at the next meeting.