Lawmakers at the state Capitol have announced a $40 million emergency special education funding package aimed at preventing property tax hikes for local school districts.

The initiative addresses the significant financial burden faced by towns where special needs students account for up to a third of the school budget.

Lorna Thomas-Farquharson, chair of the West Hartford Board of Education, emphasized the human impact, stating, "We're talking about numbers, but these numbers relate to people. These numbers relate to human beings."

The funding, sourced from the state's Excess Cost Grant program, will go to a vote next Monday and Tuesday.