HARTFORD – On Friday, State Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, co-chair of the newly formed Special Education Committee, voted to pass sweeping education legislation, which puts Connecticut on track to achieve universal childcare and addresses a special education crisis faced by municipalities across the state.
Senate Bill 1 — 2025’s flagship proposal from the state Senate’s Democratic majority — passed on a 32-4 vote and directly responds to some of the most pressing issues faced by Connecticut families and municipalities. It will provide relief for parents struggling to pay for costly child care and takes steps to address critical special education needs experienced by towns and cities across the state.
State Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, as co-chair of the Special Education Committee, held a series of listening sessions across the state to hear from students, parents, teachers, administrators, town officials and advocates on the challenges they face providing and accessing adequate special education.
The final proposals of the Special Education Committee are included in Senate Bill 1, along with its companion proposal House Bill 5001, and responds to feedback from communities across Connecticut, which have wrestled with the soaring and unpredictable costs associated with special education programing.
“Education has to be a priority for Connecticut and this bill looks at education as a continuum,” said Sen. Gadkar-Wilcox. “We are making a significant investment into our students, ensuring they can receive the services that they need to thrive while also relieving the burden on local taxpayers. I am so proud of the collaboration that went into this legislation, the additional resources we are securing for students and most of all – the lasting impact that this will have on our students, families and communities.”
Special Education
Recognizing the high cost of private, out-of-district special education services, the bill creates a $10 million grant to incentivize the development of in-district programming.
The proposal seeks to address the costs associated with transporting students to and from special education programs. It creates a Request For Information (RFI) intended to determine the most efficient transportation routes, ensuring the municipalities are not spending limited funds on redundant trips.
The bill shifts the administrative burden of time-consuming Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and Planning and Placement Team (PPT) meetings from teachers to new instructional support partners, which the legislation requires in each Connecticut school. It allows current education professionals, such as paraeducators, to take on these roles and gradually make these administrative duties their primary responsibility.
The legislation responds to parents’ concerns about frequent staff changes in out-of-district special education programs. It requires these programs to notify parents, school boards, and the state Department of Education if any staffing change lasts more than 10 school days.
Child Care
The bill creates a first-in-the-nation, independent investment vehicle to support expanded access to child care. The Early Childhood Education Endowment will be supported by expected surplus funding, capped at $300 million this year and utilizing the total expected surplus in subsequent years.
The endowment will eventually support the creation of an estimated 16,000 additional preschool and infant toddler child care spaces by 2030. These new slots will be free or reduced cost, depending on the income of the households enrolling their children in qualifying programs. Families earning less than $100,000 will receive free child care, while households earning more will have access to child care at a cost that will not exceed 7% of their income.
The proposal requires that at least 35% of new child care slots serve infants and toddlers, directly addressing a critical shortfall in Connecticut’s child care system.
The bill will include several provisions designed to support the child care and pre-kindergarten workforce. It features a health insurance subsidy program for child care workers, addressing a pervasive barrier to workforce retention in the industry. Senate Bill 1 also allows for more competitive and sustainable educator wages through rates established by the Office of Early Childhood.
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