Opinion: Fully fund the excess cost grant

Connecticut’s Excess Cost Grant is a crucial state program that helps school districts cover the extraordinary costs of educating students with disabilities who require intensive, individualized services.

These are students with the most significant needs, students who deserve every opportunity to thrive, and who often rely on specialized supports to access a free and appropriate public education. Yet for years, the state and federal governments have underfunded this grant, shifting the financial burden onto local school districts and municipalities and leaving many communities struggling to meet both student needs and budget demands.

This year, the Connecticut General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee took an important step forward. The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS) extends sincere thanks to Sen. Catherine A. Osten, Rep. Toni E. Walker, and members of the Appropriations Committee for voting to approve an additional $124 million in each year of the biennium for the Excess Cost Grant. If enacted by the full General Assembly, this funding would, for the first time ever, fully fund the Excess Cost Grant for the 2025 – 2026 school year.

This is not just a budget decision; it’s a moral commitment. Fully funding the Excess Cost Grant ensures that every student, regardless of ability, can access the specialized instruction and services they need. It affirms our values as a state that prioritizes equity, inclusion, and educational opportunity for all.

It also provides tangible relief to local school districts and municipalities. Special education costs are unpredictable and, in some cases, extraordinary. When the state falls short in its obligation to share these costs, districts are forced to reallocate local resources, often at the expense of other programs or services. Full funding allows district leaders to stabilize their budgets, plan more effectively, and maintain the full range of supports their students and communities require.

This has long been a top legislative priority for CAPSS, as well as for Connecticut’s Special Education Task Force. We now urge the full General Assembly to act decisively to approve this investment. Doing so would demonstrate a powerful commitment to students with disabilities, to equity in public education, and to the fiscal health of our towns and cities.

Connecticut has the opportunity to correct a longstanding funding gap and to strengthen the foundation of support for our most vulnerable learners. Let’s seize this moment and fully fund the Excess Cost Grant.

Fran Rabinowitz is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents.