- The ECS Foundation has been frozen since 2013, eroding its real value.
- The ECS Foundation amount has not been adjusted for inflation in more than a decade, significantly weakening the state’s investment in public education.
- The current Foundation is set at $11,525 per student, unchanged since 2013.
- If adjusted for inflation, the current Foundation would be over $16,000 per student.
- Even among their lowest-funded districts, Massachusetts invests 40% more in education: $14,343 per pupil versus Connecticut’s $10,343 in the bottom 10 districts.
- This underfunding represents an annual loss of $818 million to municipalities through 2023, shifting education costs away from the state and onto local communities.
- State fiscal capacity has grown. ECS investment has not.
- Since 2013, Connecticut has experienced approximately $9.7 billion in budget surpluses, yet ECS funding has remained effectively flat.
- When adjusted for inflation, this prolonged stagnation has shifted more than $800 million in education costs onto local property taxpayers.
- Municipalities have been forced to compensate for the state’s inaction through property tax increases, deepening the affordability crisis for residents.
- In 2013, total General Fund revenue from state taxes was $14.55 billion. In 2025, that number was $22.14 billion. That’s an increase of $7.59 billion or 52%: in 12 years.
- Stagnant ECS funding shifts costs to municipalities and property taxpayers.
- Because ECS does not automatically adjust for inflation or rising education costs, local governments are forced to absorb the financial impact.
- Municipalities face a stark choice: cut educational services and programs or raise local revenue to close funding gaps.
- In practice, this means higher property taxes for homeowners and renters, intensifying affordability pressures across the state.
- Heavy reliance on local property taxes to fund education directly undermines household financial stability and economic competitiveness.
- Outdated state aid drives inequity and affordability challenges.
- The imbalance between state support and local revenue capacity deepens both educational and economic disparities.
- Communities with lower property wealth struggle to raise sufficient revenue without imposing steep tax increases.
- Wealthier communities can rely on higher property values, creating wide disparities in educational resources and unequal tax burdens.
- This structure reinforces inequity while amplifying affordability pressures for residents statewide.
Bottom Line:
An adequately funded, inflation-adjusted, ECS formula is essential to educational equity, municipal stability, and taxpayer relief. Fixing the ECS formula is about fairness and opportunity. Doing so helps ensure every Connecticut student, regardless of zip code, has access to the resources they need to succeed. Modernizing ECS is not just smart fiscal policy; it is a fundamental commitment to fairness, affordability, and opportunity for Connecticut families and communities.