Connecticut HB 5148: AN ACT CONCERNING THE EXISTENCE OF AND METHODS OF ADDRESSING RACIAL IMBALANCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Bill Text

LCO  
 
1 of 3 
  
General Assembly  
Substitute Bill No. 5148  
February Session, 2026 
 
 
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING THE EXISTENCE OF AND METHODS OF 
ADDRESSING RACIAL IMBALANCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.  
Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House  of  Representatives  in  General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) The Department of Education shall 1 
study  the  effectiveness  of  the  method  of  addressing  racial  imbalance 2 
specified in sections 10-226a to 10-226e, inclusive, of the general statutes 3 
and the regulations adopted pursuant to said sections. Such study shall 4 
include, but not be limited to, (1) an examination of the effectiveness of 5 
various strategies implemented to correct racial imbalances in the long 6 
term  and  short  term,  (2)  a  cost  benefit  analysis  of  implementing  such 7 
strategies, (3) the impact on pupils of racial minorities, as described in 8 
section 10-226a of the general statutes, as a result of such strategies, such 9 
as  access  to  neighborhood  schools  and  educational  outcomes,  and  (4) 10 
suggestions for alternative methods for correcting racial imbalances. 11 
(b) Not later than January 1, 2028, the Department of Education shall 12 
submit a report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the 13 
general   statutes,   to   the   joint   standing   committee   of   the   General 14 
Assembly  having  cognizance  of  matters  relating  to  education  on  the 15 
findings  of  the  study  conducted  pursuant  to  subsection  (a)  of  this 16 
section. 17 
Sec. 2. Section 10-226b of the general statutes, as amended by section 18 

Substitute Bill No. 5148 
 
 
LCO      2 of 3 
 
28 of public act 26-1, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 19 
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 20 
(a) Whenever the State Board of Education finds that racial imbalance 21 
exists in a public school, it shall notify in writing the board of education 22 
having  jurisdiction  over  said  school  that  such  finding  has  been  made, 23 
except the State Board of Education shall not notify a board of education 24 
of such finding until July 1, [2030] 2028. 25 
(b) As   used   in   sections   10-226a   to   10-226e,   inclusive,   "racial 26 
imbalance" means a condition wherein the proportion of pupils of racial 27 
minorities in all of the grades of a public school of the secondary level 28 
or below taken together substantially exceeds or falls substantially short 29 
of the proportion of such public school pupils in all of the same grades 30 
of the school district in which said school is situated taken together. 31 
Sec. 3. Section 10-226c of the general statutes, as amended by section 32 
29 of public act 26-1, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 33 
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 34 
(a) Any board of education receiving notification of the existence of 35 
racial imbalance as specified in section 10-226b, as amended by public 36 
act  26-1  and this  act, shall  forthwith  prepare  a  plan  to  correct  such 37 
imbalance and file a copy of said plan with the State Board of Education, 38 
except such board of education shall not be required to prepare and file 39 
said  plan  until  July  1, [2030] 2028.  Said  plan  may  be  limited  to 40 
addressing the imbalance existing at any school and need not result in a 41 
district-wide plan or district-wide pupil reassignment. A school district 42 
may  request  an  extension  of  time  in  cases  in  which  the  number  of 43 
students causing said imbalance is fewer than five students at a school. 44 
(b) Any plan submitted by the board of education of any town under 45 
sections  10-226a  to  10-226e,  inclusive,  shall  include  any  proposed 46 
changes in existing school attendance districts, the location of proposed 47 
school building sites as related to the problem, any proposed additions 48 
to  existing  school  buildings  and  all  other  means  proposed  for  the 49 
correction of said racial imbalance. The plan shall include projections of 50 

Substitute Bill No. 5148 
 
 
LCO      3 of 3 
 
the expected racial composition of all public schools in the district. The 51 
plan may include provision for cooperation with other school districts 52 
to assist in the correction of racial imbalance. 53 
Sec. 4. Section 10-226d of the general statutes, as amended by section 54 
30 of public act 26-1, is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 55 
thereof (Effective July 1, 2026): 56 
Upon receipt of any plan required under the provisions of subsection 57 
(b)  of  section  10-226c,  as  amended  by public  act  26-1  and this  act,  the 58 
State Board of Education shall review said plan. If it determines that the 59 
plan  is  satisfactory,  it  shall  approve  the  plan  and  shall  provide  to  the 60 
board of education such assistance and services as may be available. The 61 
board of education shall submit annual reports on the i