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Finance committee forwards multiple budget-cut proposals to full board amid a $23M-plus gap
Summary
Committee members and staff discussed the district's fiscal gap and proposed cuts including elimination of some paraprofessional positions, removal of restorative-practice specialists, and a reduction in facilities overtime. Several items were forwarded to the full Board of Education for action.
The Bridgeport Board of Education Finance Committee heard a lengthy budget briefing and voted to forward several proposed cost-saving measures to the full board on Thursday as district leaders try to close a projected operating shortfall for fiscal year 2025'26.
District finance staff presented a February financial update and a set of proposed "gap-closing" options. The staff and committee described a multi-step plan that includes reductions in contracted services, adjustments to overtime, and changes to positions funded by one-time grants. Committee members repeatedly said the district must find millions of dollars to balance the budget despite earlier-year federal and city support.
Three items the committee moved to the full board were among the evening's most contested:
- The committee voted to refer to the full board a proposal to eliminate 2-to-1 kindergarten paraprofessional coverage funded through a third-party agency (referred to as "Delta" in the meeting). Staff said the existing temporary reinstatement was funded with one-time dollars and must be cut if sustainable funding cannot be found.
- The committee approved forwarding a proposal to eliminate 11 restorative-practices facilitator positions (previously funded through grant/one-time dollars) and to transfer $936,408 in associated funding to reinstate in-school suspension officer positions that the state requires. Staff emphasized this reallocation will not produce net savings this fiscal year because the district has already used agency/substitute coverage; the move is intended to align staffing with a state requirement for in-school suspension coverage in future years.
- The committee approved referring a reduction in facilities overtime to the full board, with an initial target to reduce overtime to fiscal-year-2024 spending levels and an estimated near-term savings of about $350,000. Staff noted that some overtime is unavoidable (for night work, vacation backfills and emergency repairs) and that reducing overtime will require closer operational controls and monthly reporting.
Committee debate mixed operational detail with big-picture concern. Several board members described the choices as "the least worst" options amid a larger problem: staff said the district faces a structural shortfall that has been driven by consistent underfunding of education formula grants statewide, rising special-education and health-insurance costs, and prior one-time grant expiration. One member said the district must find roughly $23 million to $24 million in additional cuts or revenue to balance the 2025-26 budget if closures of schools are not used this year; staff explained school closures were not feasible for next year's budget due to time and process constraints.
Staff also warned about implementation timing and personnel rules. Several proposals rely on grant carryover or on contracts with third parties; staff said layoffs, nonrenewals or contract terminations may be required and that some savings will not materialize until the next fiscal year because of pay-in-lieu, accrued vacation, and unemployment-related costs.
Votes and motions
- Motion to refer elimination of 2-to-1 kindergarten paraprofessional coverage funded through a third-party agency to the full board for consideration: motion seconded and carried by committee voice vote; precise roll-call not recorded in the transcript.
- Motion to eliminate 11 restorative-practice facilitator positions and transfer $936,408 to reinstate in-school suspension officers (to meet state requirements): motion seconded and carried by committee voice vote; transcript records at least one member voting in opposition but the motion carried.
- Motion to reduce facilities overtime to FY24 spending levels (estimated savings $350,000): motion seconded and carried by committee voice vote.
What members asked staff to do next: provide detailed line-item cost breakdowns, historical overtime trend analysis, the exact positions that would be affected by larger net-cut scenarios, and a prioritized menu of additional reductions that could reach the broader $20'$24 million target. Staff committed to deliver more granular analyses and noted the board would need to choose which positions and services to restore should additional revenue become available.
Why it matters: The proposals affect classroom supports (kindergarten paraprofessionals), disciplinary supports (restorative-practice specialists vs. in-school suspension officers), and building operations (facilities overtime). Committee members said they would prefer to avoid cuts that reduce in-classroom instruction but acknowledged limited options under the current fiscal constraints.
Ending note: The committee forwarded the three proposals to the full board and asked staff to return promptly with precise cost and personnel impact analyses so the board can weigh cuts, alternative savings and potential advocacy to state funders.
