The Bridgeport School District Policy & Personnel Committee voted Aug. 21 to refer a package of business and noninstructional policies to the full Board of Education, waiving the first and second readings for several items and sending others for a first reading after additional review.

Committee Chair Willie Medina said the package is based on recommendations the district received from CABE and a recent fiscal audit and is intended to make the district's fiscal and operational policies legally sound and more transparent. "Fiscal management in Bridgeport Public Schools should be the joint responsibility of the board and the superintendent," Medina said, summarizing the intent of the proposed Policy 3000 draft.

The package presented included:
- Policy 3000, "Concepts and Roles in Business and Noninstructional Operations," intended to clarify board and superintendent responsibilities for budgeting, grants and fiscal management.
- Policy 3010, "Goals and Objectives" for business/noninstructional operations, which emphasizes advanced budget planning and broad community involvement.
- Policy 3011, "Internal Controls," a lengthy recommendation that expands the district's internal financial controls and outlines reporting and audit responsibilities.
- Policy 3110, "Budget and Planning," referencing Connecticut statutory requirements for budget development and community participation.
- Policy 3111, "Fiscal Year," clarifying the district fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30.
- Policy 35-41.2, "Walking distance; transportation administrative guidelines," proposing numeric ranges for walking distances and administrative clarifications for bus stop distance.

Committee members who spoke during the discussion generally supported the package. Board member Scott said the drafts "make it very crystal clear that we are to be more involved in the budget and the planning process." Marissa Estermeira Jimenez confirmed the policies reflect CABE's recommendations during the district's policy review. Dr. Avery, the superintendent, told the committee staff had compared current district language with CABE recommendations and with recent audit findings.

Discussion on Policy 3011, internal controls, drew the most substantive debate. Committee member Joseph Holliday urged explicit whistleblower protections and wider notification to the full board in cases that involve the superintendent, saying he wanted language that would allow the board to be notified if staff feel complaints are not addressed. Medina and others responded that the draft already empowers the board chair to contact legal counsel, the auditing firm and other agencies in these circumstances and that some whistleblower procedures exist in separate policy sections. Holliday asked that Policy 3011 go to the full board for a first read rather than be waived so the committee could revisit suggested language.

On transportation policy 35-41.2, the committee discussed proposed changes to walking distances: keeping the baseline distances (elementary K'8 at 1 mile; high school 9'12 at 2 miles) but specifying ranges the administration could apply (up to 1.5 miles for K'8, up to 2.5 miles for 9'12). The committee requested final draft language be placed in the portal prior to the full board meeting and asked staff to verify the correct title for the city official referenced in the hazardous-walking guidance.

The committee voted to refer Policy 3000, Policy 3010, Policy 3110 and Policy 3111 to the full board waiving first and second readings; Policy 3011 (internal controls) and Policy 35-41.2 (walking distance) were referred to the full board for a first reading (no waiver). Committee Chair Medina said staff would provide the redline comparisons between current policy language and CABE recommendations and circulate any clarified language to committee members ahead of the full-board meeting.

The committee also noted the district continues to use an outside auditing firm that conducted the earlier forensic audit and that the auditing-firm line in the draft would be corrected in the posted documents.

The committee adjourned after completing its agenda and sending the package and related materials to the Board of Education for the next scheduled meeting.

Ending: The referrals position the full board to consider immediate adoption for several items and further review for internal controls and transportation distance guidance. The committee requested staff post the recommended redlines and clarifications before the full-board meeting.