Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the K 12 Budget Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Education department seeks $40 million for excess special‑education costs; committee questions program consolidations and ARPA continuity
Summary
The State Department of Education told the Appropriations subcommittee the governor’s budget proposes a $40 million increase for excess‑cost special‑education reimbursement while consolidating several family and youth engagement grants into a single competitive fund — a change that raised questions from lawmakers.
Connecticut State Department of Education Commissioner Charlene Russell‑Tucker told the Appropriations subcommittee the governor’s proposed budget includes a $40 million increase in the state’s excess cost special‑education grant and multiple investments aimed at attendance, tutoring and pandemic recovery.
Russell‑Tucker said the department is thankful that the governor’s proposal also would eliminate family costs for reduced‑price lunch and provide universal free breakfast beginning in fiscal year 2026–27.
On special education, Brian Klumkiewicz, director of the Bureau of Special Education, explained the state’s reimbursement design: local districts receive formula‑based IDEA funding from the federal government and the state’s excess‑cost program reimburses districts once a student’s per‑pupil costs exceed 4.5 times the district per‑pupil amount. Klumkiewicz said current funding levels cover roughly 63 cents on the dollar for high‑cost students and that a $40 million additional state appropriation would improve but not fully eliminate gaps; committee members asked the department to model the effect of a $40 million addition and show where it would land districts by tier.
Klumkiewicz also described IDEA funding as a formula allocation to districts; the department confirmed it retains a modest administrative set‑aside and passes the remainder through to districts.
Committee members questioned a consolidation in the governor’s request that folds family resource centers, after‑school programs, parent trust and several school‑engagement grants into a single competitive grant pool. The department said the change is meant to simplify administration and make blended applications possible, but legislators said they worry the move could put specialized local programs at risk and asked for program‑level rollups to show what would change. The net reduction in funding from the reorganization as presented was about $1.9 million compared with current levels.
Legislators also probed ARPA‑funded programs the department has been operating — including the Learner Engagement and Attendance Program (LEAP) and several mental‑health investments — and noted many ARPA supports run through December 2026. Committee members asked the department to clarify which ARPA dollars remain and how 2027 state funding would maintain successful pilots.
On choice and magnet programs, the department clarified that a statutory cap that has limited tuition payments to sending districts would remain at about 58% through 2027; legislation in the governor’s proposal would allow future adjustments linked to CPI after that date, which lawmakers said could shift costs back to sending districts unless additional ECS or state support is provided.
Commissioner Russell‑Tucker said the department would return with district‑level analyses, IDEA and ECS allocations, ARPA carry‑forward schedules and program‑by‑program lists demonstrating the impacts of any consolidations.
