Hartford, CT: Enrollment down, $22M SPED deficit; "rising special-education costs"
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Feb 12, 2026, CT Insider: Here's why Hartford Public Schools faces a $22M budget deficit - and how officials want CT to help
HARTFORD –– Hartford Public Schools is facing a $22 million deficit this school year, driven by rising special-education costs, higher staffing expenses and declining enrollment.
District enrollment has decreased in recent years, with it now about 1,400 students below projections for this school year. That shortfall has reduced revenue by about $5 million, as some funding sources are tied directly to enrollment, Caitlin Richard, chief financial officer for Hartford Public Schools, said Monday during a Board of Education finance meeting.
At the same time, staffing costs have risen. Vacancy rates dropped from 13% in the 2024–25 school year to 6% this year, adding an estimated $11 million in expenses. The district also added 60 special education paraprofessional positions, costing an additional $2 million, Richard noted.
Other areas of special-education funding also have increased. Tuition rates for outplaced students rose, adding $3 million in costs.
The state added $40 million to the Excess Cost Grant, but Hartford is expecting a decrease in its reimbursement rate. Rising special-education and transportation costs across the state are outpacing the grant, adding further pressure to district budgets, Richard said.
"The legislature named that it was going to set rates in the next couple of years for special-education tuition, but it has not yet done so," she said.
Hartford Public Schools is now operating under a $452.1 million budget. The district is closely monitoring the increased costs while continuing to develop its 2026–27 budget,Richard said.
For the 2026–27 school year, the district previously had projected a $35 million deficit in October, but that estimate has since increased. As of February, the projected deficit is now $45 million.
Since 2016, the district has implemented mitigation efforts totaling an estimated $187.6 million, including the elimination of 644 positions. . . .
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