Bethel, Brookfield Schools Receive Special Education Grant

BETHEL, CT — Bethel and Brookfield schools will receive $500,000 through a new state grant program aimed at strengthening local special education services and reducing reliance on out-of-district placements.

The districts received the funding through a collaborative proposal under Connecticut's newly established High-Quality Special Education Incentive Grant Program, Gov. Ned Lamont and Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker announced Monday.

The entire $500,000 award is designated for capital improvements, according to the state. Capital funding through the program can be used for facilities, renovations, equipment, transportation and other infrastructure needed to support special education programs.

Bethel and Brookfield are among recipients of $10.6 million awarded to 41 special education programs across Connecticut in the first round of the competitive grant program.

The program was created to help local and regional school districts develop or expand in-district and regional services for students with disabilities, with the goal of allowing more students to receive services in their own communities rather than through out-of-district placements.

“It is important that school districts have the resources to support special education programming that allows more students to learn alongside their peers in their own communities,” Lamont said in a statement.

Individual districts were eligible for grants of up to $350,000, while collaborative proposals such as the Bethel-Brookfield application could receive up to $500,000.