FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joe O’Leary | Joe.OLeary@cga.ct.gov | 508-479-4969
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saturday, May 2, 2026
The investment reflects concerns Senate Democrats heard throughout this legislative session from mayors, first selectmen and school boards. When the state funds more of the local bill, cities and towns do not have to pass costs onto property taxpayers. Running municipalities and schools costs more every year, and the burden of that growth falls disproportionately on the local property tax base. The budget provides meaningful relief to communities statewide at a moment when federal actions are creating new uncertainty for local budgets.
Senate Bill 1 was passed on a 30-6 vote and immediately sent to the House of Representatives for final approval.
Sen. Anwar voted for and welcomed the second-year budget adjustments, which will result in $8.035 million in additional Educational Cost Sharing funding across East Hartford, East Windsor, Ellington and South Windsor and $11.165 million in total new aid to the four towns. Those are respective increases of 8.17% and 8.86%.
Total aid includes, in addition to ECS, Town Aid Road funding, Payments in Lieu of Taxes funding, car tax grants, Local Capital Improvements Program grants, special education funding and funding through the Mashantucket-Pequot Fund.
“This is real, tangible relief for our towns and schools at a time when it’s sorely needed,” said Sen. Anwar. “We’re delivering needed funds that will bolster the performance of our students and provide municipalities with better resources to provide the valuable, needed services our constituents rely on. Today’s vote benefits education, health care and child care, working to improve access to services and reduce costs at the same time.”
Major, positive changes in the second year of the adjusted budget include:
- $152 million in increased aid for local boards of education in the form of an additional ECS grant. This $152 million increase will also be built into the ECS grant in FY 28, which begins on July 1, 2027.
- $20 million in additional funding to ensure all school districts receive a minimum of a 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.
- $100 million for state grants to cities and towns.
- A $30 million increase to the state’s HUSKY health care program on top of the $45 million already budgeted, resulting in a total $75 million increase. HUSKY Health provides comprehensive, no-cost or low-cost medical 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 which helps families access child care, supports higher wages for educators, and improves child care facilities.