Governor Ned Lamont today announced that he plans to veto $40 million in special education funding approved by the legislature last week.
“We are deeply disappointed that Governor Lamont plans to veto critical special education funding—funding that our most vulnerable students cannot afford to wait for,” said CEA President Kate Dias. “This money was a lifeline, not a luxury, for students with disabilities who are already being shortchanged by an underfunded system.”
“Let’s be clear: this funding is about our support for education right now,” Senate President Martin Looney and Majority Leader Bob Duff said in a joint statement. “Not in 2026, not in 2027. Right now, the state has the resources to afford this investment in our children, and right now, our towns need this funding. We project a $356 million surplus and an additional $1.4 billion available from the volatility cap adjustment. It is both fiscally responsible and morally necessary to allocate these funds to meet the pressing needs of our communities at a time when the special education caseload is growing throughout the state.”
“We commend the legislature for listening to families, teachers, and school districts and taking decisive, bipartisan action to pass this bill to address the crisis in special education,” Dias said. “They recognized the urgent need and overwhelmingly passed $40 million in funding for this year. Teachers and school staff have been sounding the alarm for years about the severe shortages in special education services. Without this funding, more students will go without essential services, more classrooms will go without teachers, and more families will be left without options.”
She added, “Connecticut is one of the wealthiest states in the country—yet the governor is choosing to deny funding to students who need it most. That is unacceptable. We urge the governor to reconsider. If he does not, we ask our legislators to stand by their original vote and override this veto. Our most vulnerable students cannot wait another two years for help.”
