Senator Hochadel Votes to Approve $40 Million in Special Education Funding

Senator Jan Hochadel, D-Meriden, voted Tuesday to approve legislation containing an additional $40 million in state funding to help Connecticut municipalities support special education services as well as new directives to guide local school boards in the event that federal immigration officials seek to enter public schools.

“Providing quality education for every child is one of our most important responsibilities, and this funding is an essential step toward ensuring towns and cities have the resources they require to support students with special education needs,” Senator Hochadel said. “It’s critical the state continue to prioritize support for Connecticut classrooms to ensure that we equip all students with the tools for success, regardless of their needs.”

This legislation, approved on a 34 – 0 vote, adds to the $181 million which was previously appropriated for Fiscal Year 2025 bringing the total to $221 million.

The funding will be allocated through the Excess Cost Grant program and distributed to municipalities through a tiered reimbursement structure that prioritizes funding for the neediest cities and towns.

The legislation adopted Tuesday also contained new language designed to make it easier for local school boards to question federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents if they seek to enter a public school looking for information about potentially undocumented students.

“I have taught in enough classrooms to know that even minor disruptions can make learning and teaching challenging,” Senator Hochadel said. “No student—and no teacher—should have to live in fear of immigration officials entering a school and removing a child. Connecticut’s schools must remain places where every student feels safe enough to focus on their education. This bill ensures that our schools have a clear process for handling federal immigration actions, so that students can continue to learn without fear, and educators can do their jobs without distraction.”

The bill includes provisions to require that each school designate an administrator to interact with federal immigration authorities, amend its school safety and security plan to align with recent guidance from the state Department of Education (SDE) to protect the constitutional rights of all people in schools, and prohibit the discipline of any school employee who acts in accordance with that SDE guidance.

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | Hugh.McQuaid@cga.ct.gov