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Committee warned of rising special-education costs as OFA outlines funding limits
Summary
OFA told a legislative select committee that special-education costs in Connecticut total roughly $2.6 billion, that excess-cost reimbursements are volatile and often underfunded, and that recent years saw large increases in uncapped entitlements prompting member requests for more granular provider, outplacement and tiering data.
The Office of Fiscal Analysis told Connecticut lawmakers the state—aces mounting pressure on special-education spending and that current funding structures leave towns exposed to unpredictable excess-cost liabilities.
"In fiscal year 23, the total cost of funding special ed was about $2,600,000,000," Candice Fair, an OFA analyst, told the committee, adding that local districts bear the largest share of spending and that the state nd federal shares are smaller components of the total.
OFA explained the excess-cost grant reimburses current-year special-education costs that exceed 4.5 times a district's net current expenditures per pupil (NCEP). Because the grant is a current-year reimbursement, OFA said it is…
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