School boards inspect indoor air as endowment funds support child care

Local and regional school boards provide an indoor air quality inspection and evaluation for each school building. The inspection covers each school building under a local or regional board of education. The inspections take place annually on and after January 1, 2024. Boards make the results available at a regular board meeting and online, and send the report to the Department of Administrative Services.

The State Treasurer transfers estimated state surplus money to the Early Childhood Education Endowment and may release capped amounts to the Commissioner of Early Childhood. Transfers move money from the General Fund to the endowment; released money goes to the Commissioner of Early Childhood. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, the transfer is limited to $300 million and is based on an estimate of available surplus. For fiscal year 2026 and later, the estimated surplus goes to the endowment, except that enough is sent to the Budget Reserve Fund to bring it to 18 percent of estimated next-year General Fund appropriations, up to the projected surplus. The Treasurer may release up to 12 percent of the endowment in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, and up to 10 percent in fiscal year 2028 and later. The 2025 transfer is due by June 30, 2025. The later surplus rule applies to fiscal years ending June 30, 2026, and afterward; release caps change starting in fiscal year 2028.

The Commissioner of Early Childhood may spend released endowment money on specified program, insurance, and administrative costs. Eligible recipients are child care programs and preschool programs run by local or regional school boards. For fiscal year 2026, up to 8 percent of released money may pay administrative costs, and $300,000 of the remainder is for the health insurance subsidy program. For 2027, the administrative cap is 12 percent and $10 million of the remainder is for that program. For 2028 and later, the administrative cap is 7 percent; remaining funds may support the subsidy and other listed costs. Eligible programs must receive Early Start CT assistance, take part in the state's quality improvement system, and participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Exceptions apply to programs with a state waiver and public school preschools offering free or reduced-price lunches. Endowment money must add to other available public funding, not replace it. Unspent released funds return to the endowment. These spending rules apply to released funds for fiscal year 2026 and later.