Governor Ned Lamont announced on May 18 the members of the Governor’s Blue-Ribbon Commission on K-12 Education Funding and Accountability, a group tasked with reviewing and recommending changes to how Connecticut funds its public schools. The commission will begin work at its first meeting scheduled for June 4 in Hartford, with a final report due by January 15, 2027.
The review is intended to address concerns that current funding formulas do not reflect the needs of today’s towns, schools, and students. The commission is expected to provide strategies for optimizing state support for K-12 public schools while including measures for greater efficiency and accountability aimed at improving student outcomes.
“Connecticut has been making significant investments in our schools, and the aid we secured this session was critical to keep teachers in classrooms and protect programs that students depend on,” Governor Lamont said. “But investment alone isn’t enough. Our funding formulas are outdated, and we need to take another look at how we’re maximizing student outcomes across the state. I created this commission to do serious work, and by January I expect serious, actionable recommendations on my desk. I know these appointees, as well as Chair Natalie Wagner and Vice Chair Charlene M. Russell-Tucker, are more than up to the task.”
The governor highlighted recent legislative action that delivered $193 million in supplemental education grants along with $162.2 million in direct municipal aid designed to prevent teacher layoffs or cuts amid rising costs. Since taking office in 2019, he said Education Cost Sharing grants have increased by nearly $445 million.
Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker said: “Fixing how Connecticut funds its schools is one of the most consequential things we can do for students, and getting it right requires hearing from the people closest to them… When recommendations come from a group this diverse and this deeply invested, they carry real weight.” Commission chair Natalie Wagner added: “That’s why we’re working with the Columbia University Center for Public Research and Leadership and Education Resource Strategies—research organizations that have partnered with states and districts across the country… Backed by support from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation… our recommendations aren’t just well-intentioned but are designed to support lasting change.”
Over seven months of work ahead, commissioners plan benchmarking against other states’ models; financial modeling over multiple years; consulting national experts; holding stakeholder sessions statewide; all aiming not only at producing a report but also practical recommendations ready for adoption.
