CT SB01512

Establishes a School District Accountability Review Board within the Department of Education, effective July 1, 2025, to assist school districts identified as low-achieving with financial management and fiscal accountability

Board consists of 11 members: Secretary of OPM, Commissioner of Education (serving as co-chairs), 5 Governor appointees with expertise in education administration/policy/finance, and 4 legislative appointees with specialized backgrounds in curriculum, data analysis, and education law

Initial appointments due by September 1, 2025, with members serving 6-year terms without compensation but with expense reimbursement; annual reports to legislature required starting January 1, 2026

Adds authority for the State Board of Education to require the new Accountability Review Board to provide technical assistance to low-achieving districts, and allows financial control of failing districts to be reassigned to the board

Requires the Auditors of Public Accounts to conduct a forensic audit of Bridgeport Public School District's financial operations, records, and budget for fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, with findings submitted to the education committee followed by a mandatory hearing