WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, on Monday released the following statement after Governor Lamont’s announcement that $16 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief II (ESSER II) funds are being made available to help school districts provide additional special education services. The funding will assist 170 school districts across Connecticut and support the learning of more than 80,000 students in the upcoming school year:

“As schools reopen this fall, it’s critical that they have the funding needed to help every student get back on track after a difficult year. This is especially true for students with disabilities, who suffered even more from the lack of in-person learning and services that are fundamental to their individualized educational needs. I’m glad to see Connecticut is using these federal dollars to help ensure that students with disabilities are fully supported this fall, and I will keep working in Congress to make sure federal dollars help all kids thrive in the classroom, especially as we continue to navigate COVID-19,” said Murphy.

Last year, Murphy and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) published an op-ed with 74million on the importance of increasing funding for children with disabilities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Murphy, along with Hassan and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), introduced legislation to provide billions in dedicated funding for special education services during the pandemic. Last April, Murphy also released bipartisan principles to support students with disabilities, calling for additional funding in the next COVID-19 stimulus package.

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