Senator Duff Delivers More Than $41.9 Million in State Funding for Norwalk

HARTFORD — Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) led passage of changes to the second year of Connecticut’s Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget that delivers $190 million more in education aid to Connecticut’s cities and towns, another $100 million to cities and towns, $300 million for early childcare, and $30 million more in low-income health care. The changes to the budget, Senate Bill 1, deliver on the priorities of the Senate Democratic Caucus by reducing pressure on local tax burdens and investing in the institutions and organizations that serve Connecticut families.

Locally, Senator Duff secured $41,943,096 in state funding for Norwalk in Fiscal Year 2027, an increase of $3,480,987 over the prior year — including $1,959,389 in new education funding. In addition to the increased state funding, the budget includes targeted investments in the Norwalk area for institutions and community organizations:

• Human Services Council/Norwalk School Based Health Center — $100,000
• Mid-Fairfield Child Guidance Center — $618,000
• The Marvin HVAC Replacement — $130,000
• Elder House Patio Project — $200,000
• Black Girls Get Legal Tee — $75,000
• Norwalk African American Parade and Carnival — $50,000
• Norwalk High School — Bonding to Address Additional Costs

“Norwalk families have been asking us to continue to make education funding a priority, and this budget does exactly that,” said Senator Duff. “A $3.5 million increase in state funding for our city — with nearly $2 million of that going directly to education — reduces pressure on local property taxpayers and invests in the next generation of Norwalk kids. Our budget priorities here in Connecticut could not be more different than what is happening in Washington, and I am proud to deliver for Norwalk.”

Senate Bill 1 responds directly to an urgent need articulated by municipal leaders across Connecticut: the rising cost of educating the next generation has placed unsustainable pressure on local budgets and property taxpayers. Through S.B. 1, the state is committing to use its resources to reduce the need for towns and cities to raise local property taxes. The bill accomplishes that goal through the following provisions:

• $152 million for local boards of education in the form of an additional Education Cost Sharing payment, built into the ECS grant in FY28 beginning July 1, 2027
• $20 million in additional funding to ensure all school districts receive a minimum 4% increase in their ECS grant this year, regardless of student enrollment
• $18 million in additional aid for magnet schools, the Open Choice program, charter schools, and vocational-technical schools

The new budget also includes:

• $100 million in state grants to Connecticut cities and towns
• A $30 million increase to the state’s HUSKY health care program on top of the $45 million already budgeted, for a total $75 million increase — providing comprehensive, no-cost or low-cost coverage to eligible low-income residents, children, seniors, and people with disabilities
• A $300 million transfer of volatile state revenue to the Early Childhood Endowment, helping families access child care, supporting higher wages for educators, and improving child care facilities
• A new $5 million tax cut on back-to-school supplies beginning July 1, saving parents money on notebooks, pens, paper, and lunchboxes
• An increase to Connecticut’s annual Sales Tax Holiday, raising the clothing, footwear, and backpack exemption cap from $100 to $300