Governor Lamont Appoints Members of the Blue-Ribbon Commission on K-12 Education Funding and Accountability

(HARTFORD, CT) - Governor Ned Lamont today announced the members of the Governor's Blue-Ribbon Commission on K-12 Education Funding and Accountability, the group charged with delivering a top-to-bottom overhaul of how the state funds its public schools. The funding streams used to support the operations of Connecticut's K-12 public schools, including the state's main funding formula, require updating to reflect the current-day needs of towns and schools and the students they serve.

The commission will hold its first meeting on June 4, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, and will deliver a final report with actionable recommendations by January 15, 2027, in time for the next session of the Connecticut General Assembly. This report will contain strategies to optimize the funding streams used to support the state's K-12 public schools and will include areas for greater efficiency and accountability measures to maximize the impact of funding on student outcomes. As part of this work, the commission is expected to assess special education funding and structures and identify areas for cross-district collaboration to address administrative and program needs across districts.

"Connecticut has been making significant investments in our schools, and the aid we secured this session was critical to keep teachers in classrooms and protect programs that students depend on," Governor Lamont said. "But investment alone isn't enough. Our funding formulas are outdated, and we need to take another look at how we're maximizing student outcomes across the state. I created this commission to do serious work, and by January I expect serious, actionable recommendations on my desk. I know these appointees, as well as Chair Natalie Wagner and Vice Chair Charlene M. Russell-Tucker, are more than up to the task."

Earlier this month, with Governor Lamont's input and support, the General Assembly adopted a state budget delivering $193 million in supplemental education grants and $162.2 million in direct municipal aid to prevent widespread teacher layoffs and cuts to effective programs amid rapidly growing costs. Since taking office in 2019, Governor Lamont has grown Education Cost Sharing grants by nearly $445 million, an 18% increase.

However, the governor and a growing bipartisan coalition agree that new dollars flowing through a broken formula won't get the job done. That's what this commission is built to fix.

"Fixing how Connecticut funds its schools is one of the most consequential things we can do for students, and getting it right requires hearing from the people closest to them," Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker, who is serving as vice chair of the commission, said. "This commission brings together members representing classroom teachers and paraeducators, parents, principals, superintendents, board members, municipal officials, policymakers, and representatives from higher education-all volunteering their time because they know what's at stake. When recommendations come from a group this diverse and this deeply invested, they carry real weight."

"The recommendations this commission makes will have implications for every school district in Connecticut, so we have an obligation to be well informed and get them right," Natalie Wagner, who is serving as chair of the commission, said. "That's why we're working with the Columbia University Center for Public Research and Leadership and Education Resource Strategies-research organizations that have partnered with states and districts across the country and know what actionable reform looks like. Backed by support from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, the commission will have access to the research expertise we need to make sure our recommendations aren't just well-intentioned but are designed to support lasting change."

The commission's work will go far beyond a policy review. Over the next seven months, they will benchmark Connecticut against other states; model the real financial impact of potential changes on districts over multiple years; consult national school finance experts; and hold stakeholder engagement sessions across the state. The goal is not only to produce a report; it's to produce recommendations that can actually be adopted and implemented.

For the full list of members, visit the commission's website at portal.ct.gov/governor/governors-working-groups/blue-ribbon-commission-on-k-12-education.

Details regarding upcoming meetings will be published on that website as they are scheduled.