In a 4-3 ruling, the Connecticut Supreme Court reversed in part, and affirmed in part, a 2016 ruling from Hartford Superior Court Judge Thomas Moukawsher focused on Connecticut's school finance system. The Supreme Court ruled the way Connecticut allocates state education dollars, and how much the State spends on public education, is constitutional and does not violate Article Eighth § 1 of the Connecticut Constitution.

In 1996, in a 4-3 decision, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled the state had an affirmative obligation to provide Connecticut's school children with a substantially equal educational opportunity and that this constitutionally guaranteed right encompasses the access to a public education, which is not substantially and materially impaired by racial and ethnic isolation. The Court further concluded that school districting, based upon town and city boundary lines, is unconstitutional. As a result of the decision, the Connecticut State Legislature passed legislation in 1997 encouraging voluntary actions toward racial integration. However, since then, there have been a number stipulated agreements between the case's plaintiffs and the State of Connecticut to ensure the Connecticut Supreme Court's ruling is followed.

This presentation from the School and State Finance Project examines the state's school finance system as a whole and the challenges it presents. Included in the presentation is information about Connecticut's 11 school funding formulas, the state's varying property tax rates, and the funding and population disparities among school districts across the state.

On March 27, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act is a $2.2 trillion package that provides emergency financial assistance to: individuals; state, local, and tribal governments; nonprofit organizations, including healthcare providers; and for-profit businesses. This policy briefing and FAQ document summarize the provisions of the CARES Act that impact elementary and secondary education in the United States, and details the $138.8 million the State of Connecticut is due to receive from the federal government in formulaic grant assistance to help the State and local educational agencies (LEAs) respond to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Wednesday, February 5, 2020, Governor Ned Lamont introduced his recommended budget adjustments for fiscal year 2021 for the General Assembly to consider. This analysis from the School and State Finance Project details the state education funding and school finance changes contained in Governor Lamont’s recommended state budget adjustments for FY 2021, and compares the state education funding in the governor’s budget adjustments with funding for FYs 2020 and 2021 contained in the current biennial state budget.