Connecticut Education Statistics 2026: Schools, Enrollment & Spending
Connecticut enrolled 508,402 public school students in 2024-25 across 1,030 schools counted by the Connecticut State Department of Education. State-reported school expenditures totaled approximately $12.2 billion.
The newest federal finance comparison covers FY2024. The U.S. Census Bureau reported Connecticut current spending of $26,316 per pupil, compared with $17,619 nationwide.
Connecticut Education Snapshot
School-year statistics come from CSDE. The federal per-pupil comparison comes from the Census Bureau and uses a separate fiscal-year definition.
School Expenditures by Function, 2024-25
Connecticut district-reported expenditures in billions of dollars
Instruction accounted for $7.36 billion of the $12.16 billion EdSight total. Exact amounts and pupil bases remain visible in the table.
Data analysis
- Instruction was the largest function at $7.36 billion, or 60.51% of the reported total.
- Operations and maintenance was the second-largest function at $1.13 billion.
- Student support and transportation together accounted for about $1.72 billion.
- School-based administration totaled $682.4 million; general administration totaled $307.1 million.
- Food services in this report were limited to $6.2 million because food services not funded by local funds are excluded.
Full Connecticut Spending Function Table
All functions in the EdSight 2024-25 statewide report are included. Per-pupil values use the pupil basis assigned to each function and therefore are not additive.
| Rank | Function | Expenditure | Share | Pupils | Basis | PPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Instruction | $7,359,790,680 | 60.51% | 535,309 | 1 | $13,749 |
| 2 | Operations and maintenance | $1,129,315,201 | 9.29% | 502,249 | 2 | $2,249 |
| 3 | Support services - students | $966,239,743 | 7.94% | 502,249 | 2 | $1,924 |
| 4 | Student transportation | $751,418,870 | 6.18% | 420,644 | 3 | $1,786 |
| 5 | School-based administration | $682,432,533 | 5.61% | 502,249 | 2 | $1,359 |
| 6 | Support services - instruction | $445,419,212 | 3.66% | 502,249 | 2 | $887 |
| 7 | Central and other support | $405,033,490 | 3.33% | 502,249 | 2 | $806 |
| 8 | General administration | $307,057,680 | 2.52% | 502,249 | 2 | $611 |
| 9 | Enterprise operations | $109,856,258 | 0.90% | 502,249 | 2 | $219 |
| 10 | Food services | $6,212,535 | 0.05% | 502,249 | 2 | $12 |
| Total | All reported functions | $12,162,776,202 | 100.00% | 535,309 | 1 | $22,721 |
Data analysis
- The ten listed functions sum to $12,162,776,202.
- Instruction alone exceeded the combined total of the other nine functions.
- Operations and maintenance, student support, transportation, and school administration each exceeded $680 million.
- Pupil basis 1 includes enrollment plus outplaced pupils; basis 2 covers enrollment in district schools; basis 3 covers transported pupils.
- The total PPE of $22,721 should not be compared directly with the sum of function PPE values because denominators differ.
- EdSight excludes debt, most capital spending, adult education, community services, state Teachers' Retirement contributions, and food services not funded locally.
Schools, Enrollment, and Federal Spending Context
Supporting tables retain the reporting year and source definition attached to each measure.
Public School Enrollment Trend
Connecticut PK-12 enrollment, 2018-19 through 2024-25
Enrollment declined by 22,210 students, or 4.19%, between 2018-19 and 2024-25.
Current Spending Per Pupil
Connecticut and United States, Census FY2023-FY2024
Census values are nominal and are not adjusted for inflation or regional price differences.
Data analysis
- The largest one-year enrollment decline in the series occurred in 2020-21: 14,750 students, or 2.79%.
- Enrollment changed by less than 0.2% in each year from 2021-22 through 2023-24.
- The 2024-25 count fell by 4,250 students, or 0.83%.
- Connecticut Census current spending per pupil rose 4.9% from FY2023 to FY2024.
- The FY2024 Connecticut figure was $8,697, or 49.4%, above the U.S. figure.
Connecticut Schools by Organization
CSDE counted 1,030 schools in 2024-25. Specialized programs are reported separately from the school total.
| Rank | Organization | Schools | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Local and regional districts | 931 | 90.39% |
| 2 | State agency facilities | 30 | 2.91% |
| 3 | Regional educational service centers | 26 | 2.52% |
| 4 | Public charter schools | 21 | 2.04% |
| 5 | Technical Education and Career System | 17 | 1.65% |
| 6 | Endowed academies | 3 | 0.29% |
| 7 | College-affiliated schools | 2 | 0.19% |
| Total | All CSDE organization types | 1,030 | 100.00% |
Data analysis
- Local and regional districts operated 931 schools, 90.39% of the state count.
- CSDE classified 791 schools as elementary and/or middle schools and 239 as high schools.
- The state also reported 494 specialized programs outside the 1,030-school total.
- Those specialized programs included 348 for special education, 76 for alternative or credit recovery, and 42 for prekindergarten.
Enrollment by School Year
Annual changes are calculated from the unrounded CSDE statewide counts.
| School year | Enrollment | Annual change | Change rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 530,612 | Baseline | Baseline | CSDE |
| 2019-20 | 527,829 | -2,783 | -0.52% | CSDE |
| 2020-21 | 513,079 | -14,750 | -2.79% | CSDE |
| 2021-22 | 513,615 | +536 | +0.10% | CSDE |
| 2022-23 | 513,513 | -102 | -0.02% | CSDE |
| 2023-24 | 512,652 | -861 | -0.17% | CSDE |
| 2024-25 | 508,402 | -4,250 | -0.83% | CSDE |
Data analysis
- Enrollment was highest in the displayed series in 2018-19 at 530,612.
- The count remained near 513,000 from 2020-21 through 2023-24.
- The 2024-25 decline was partly associated with Connecticut's statutory change in kindergarten entry age.
- Prekindergarten enrollment rose 6%, while kindergarten enrollment fell by more than 12% in 2024-25.
Federal Current-Spending Comparison
The Census current-spending measure covers public elementary-secondary systems and differs from the Connecticut EdSight expenditure measure.
| Fiscal year | Geography | Current PPE | Annual change | Dollar basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | Connecticut | $25,081 | Baseline | Nominal |
| FY2023 | United States | $16,526 | Baseline | Nominal |
| FY2024 | Connecticut | $26,316 | +4.9% | Nominal |
| FY2024 | United States | $17,619 | +6.6% | Nominal |
Data analysis
- Connecticut current spending per pupil increased by $1,235 in FY2024.
- The national figure increased by $1,093.
- Connecticut had the fifth-highest FY2024 value among the 50 states and District of Columbia, after New York, the District of Columbia, Vermont, and New Jersey.
- The Connecticut-to-U.S. gap widened from $8,555 in FY2023 to $8,697 in FY2024.
Statewide Indicator Table
Selected system-scale measures provide context for the school, enrollment, and spending totals.
| Indicator | Value | Period | Source | Definition note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PK-12 public enrollment | 508,402 | 2024-25 | CSDE | State public school count |
| Schools | 1,030 | 2024-25 | CSDE | Seven organization types |
| Elementary and/or middle schools | 791 | 2024-25 | CSDE | Subset of CSDE school total |
| High schools | 239 | 2024-25 | CSDE | Subset of CSDE school total |
| Specialized programs | 494 | 2024-25 | CSDE | Separate from school total |
| Operating schools | 1,010 | 2023-24 | NCES CCD | Federal operating-school definition |
| Operating districts | 208 | 2023-24 | NCES CCD | Federal operating-district definition |
| Teachers | 43,104 FTE | 2023-24 | NCES CCD | SEA file, PK-grade 13 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 11.9 | 2023-24 | NCES CCD | Students per teacher FTE |
| Students with disabilities | 94,174 (18.5%) | 2024-25 | CSDE | Special education and related services |
| English or multilingual learners | 57,533 (11.3%) | 2024-25 | CSDE | PK-12 public students |
| Free or reduced-price meal eligible | 227,964 (44.8%) | 2024-25 | CSDE | PK-12 public students |
Data analysis
- The CSDE school count and NCES operating-school count should not be substituted for one another because organization and operating-status rules differ.
- Elementary and/or middle schools represented 76.8% of the CSDE school total.
- Students with disabilities represented 18.5% of 2024-25 enrollment.
- English or multilingual learners represented 11.3% of enrollment.
- Nearly 45% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
What the Connecticut Data Shows
The measures describe system scale and reported finance. They do not establish a causal link between spending and student outcomes.
Enrollment movement
PK-12 enrollment was 4.19% lower in 2024-25 than in 2018-19. The latest one-year decline was larger than the changes recorded in the prior three school years.
School structure
Most schools operate through local and regional districts. Charter, technical, state-agency, RESC, endowed, and college-affiliated schools remain part of the CSDE total.
Instruction share
Instruction represented 60.51% of EdSight-reported expenditures. The source reports the largest dollar increase within instruction and attributes most of that change to salaries.
Federal comparison
Connecticut's FY2024 current spending per pupil was 49.4% above the U.S. figure. The Census comparison is nominal and does not control for regional prices.
Different pupil bases
EdSight assigns three pupil denominators across expenditure functions. Function PPE values cannot be added or treated as shares of the same student count.
Reporting-year boundary
School and enrollment totals use academic years. Census finance uses fiscal years. Source periods remain separate throughout the tables.
Source and Methodology
CSDE, The Condition of Education in Connecticut 2024-25
EdSight, Per Pupil Expenditures by Function, 2024-25
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Annual Survey of School System Finances
NCES CCD State Nonfiscal Summary, 2023-24
School and state expenditure data: 2024-25. Census current spending: FY2024. NCES districts, teachers, and ratio: 2023-24.
State of Connecticut public elementary-secondary education. Adult education is excluded from PK-12 enrollment.
EdSight excludes debt, capital other than equipment, adult education, community services, state Teachers' Retirement contributions, and specified food-service spending.
Nominal dollars. Values are not adjusted for inflation or cost-of-living differences.
Shares in the function table were calculated from the EdSight statewide total of $12,162,776,202 and rounded to two decimals. Enrollment changes were calculated from annual CSDE counts and rounded to two decimals. School-organization shares use the CSDE total of 1,030. The Census and EdSight per-pupil figures use different expenditure scopes and pupil definitions.
The 2026 title identifies the publication year, not a single 2026 observation period. Academic-year, fiscal-year, state, and federal measures are labeled separately. Spending totals are not adjusted for regional price levels unless stated, and a spending rank does not measure school quality or student outcomes.