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Committee refers FY2025–26 operating budget to full board amid Hartford funding uncertainty
Summary
The finance committee voted to refer the proposed FY2025–26 operating budget to the full Bridgeport Board of Education for ratification, while members cautioned that pending state legislative action could change revenue estimates and asked for qualifiers to preserve district flexibility.
The Bridgeport School District finance committee on June 4 voted to refer the proposed fiscal year 2025–26 operating budget to the full board for ratification, even as members warned that pending state action could alter key revenue assumptions used to balance the plan.
The vote matters because the proposed budget includes millions in assumed state and city funding, a set of line‑item cuts intended to balance the plan, and little or no contingency; legislators in Hartford were actively debating bond and budget bills that committee members said could change the district’s final revenue picture.
“Basically, we’ve come towards the end of the budget … the line item cuts intended to be implemented next year in order to have a balanced budget. So based on that, it totals about $33,000,000,” Nestor, a finance staff member, told the committee. Nestor also presented the district’s current operating‑budget total for next year and explained that the full figure will be ratified by the board at its next meeting.
Several board members urged caution. “I don’t really know how we can vote on anything until we get what our real reality is,” Mister Traber said, referencing ongoing legislative activity in Hartford and the possibility that final state allocations could change the district’s assumptions. Mister Sikalovic and others echoed concerns that portions of the anticipated increase could be in restricted buckets, such as special‑education funding, and might not be available for general operating use.
The committee moved the item to the full board; committee members asked that any motion include language or qualifiers making the referral and subsequent ratification subject to adjustments based on final state action. The referral motion passed with the committee’s aye votes and no recorded opposition.
The full board will consider the operating budget at its next meeting; staff said they will update the board with any changes after Hartford’s budget actions are finalized.
