Bridgeport facilities staff warn of shrinking budget, staffing shortfalls; several capital projects moved to full board

Bridgeport School District facilities leaders told the Board of Education’s facilities committee on Feb. 12 that the department is handling growing deferred maintenance with fewer staff and flatter operating dollars while pursuing energy upgrades and grants.

The stewardship report, presented by George Garcia and finance manager Jamie McCarville, showed the district manages 41 facilities (about 3,700,000 square feet across roughly 302 acres) and has seen staff reductions that leave daily operations strained. “The basis of the stewardship report is to give everyone a good understanding of what it is the department does,” Garcia said.

The presentation framed three immediate pressures: (1) reduced staffing after layoffs, (2) rising utility costs this winter, and (3) capital needs uncovered in facilities assessments. Jamie McCarville summarized operating dollars and year-over-year declines: “This year, we have $185,000. 10 years ago, we had $389,000,” she said when comparing custodial-supply budgets across a decade. McCarville told the committee that—after subtracting utilities and regulatory compliance—the department’s discretionary operating funds amount to “less than $10,000 per school to repair every single year.”

Staffing and operations

Garcia and other presenters described how the district’s staffing has fallen from historic levels. The report lists a current custodial staffing budgeted at 150 workers (down from a higher 180 ideal and from previous levels), and Garcia said the department was previously reduced by 10 maintainer layoffs. He described pervasive single-custodian daytime coverage in many buildings, overtime usage and second-shift workers staying later into the night to complete building readiness for the next school day.

The trades group has also shrunk: Garcia said trades staffing dropped from 19 to 17 after layoffs that included a painter and an electrician. He said the district now has no available painter because one position was laid off and the other employee is on long-term leave from a vehicle accident. That shortage forces the district to hire outside contractors for some protected trade work, Garcia said.

Energy projects and conservation

Mike Zirkle, trades supervisor, reviewed recent energy work and projected savings. He reported replacement of about 10 boilers with high-efficiency condensing models over the past two years and an LED lighting upgrade that will be completed starting the next day. Zirkle said, “we will have yearly savings of about a million dollars or well, maybe not savings, maybe cost avoidance,” and estimated the LED project will avoid about 6,000,000 kilowatt-hours of usage.

Zirkle and Garcia also described a planned steam-trap replacement program (estimated 4–5 month payback) and said the utilities partner UI (named in the meeting) has funded a portion of the projects. They warned, however, that recent bills are up: natural gas bills were reported as about 25% higher from January, and the electric generation portion rose roughly 8% this month.

Grants and capital funding

McCarville and Garcia outlined grant and capital funding the department has used. ESSER funds were credited with substantial, one-time support: McCarville said the district was allocated $23,650,000 in ESSER funding and that those dollars had been expended in the allowable window and used for capital and operational projects. Other grant programs mentioned included the Energize CT grant (about $50,000), a Renew America HVAC grant (described as approximately $1,000,000 toward HVAC work), and a Department of Energy grant that officials said is temporarily on hold. Garcia described using grant money to replace failed equipment—he cited a failed chiller at Roosevelt and other projects paid from grants.

The committee heard that the district holds roughly $1.8 million in reserve capital and that the city provided $2.5 million in new capital last year. Garcia presented the district’s proposed FY26 capital request (including projects carried forward), totaling about $8.7 million for FY26, and noted that the five-year program will be reengineered after the facilities condition assessment (FCA) work is incorporated.

Projects discussed and committee actions

Committee members reviewed several capital contracts and projects; the committee voted to forward each to the full board for approval:

- Fairchild Wheeler HVAC coil replacement contract (revised from 100 coils to 88 after an emergency purchase of 12 coils to address a glycol leak). Funds: capital; procurement via the city’s all-trades bid. The committee voted to send the contract to the full board.

- JFK administrative building elevator modernization (full modernization; contractor KONE). Cost (including bond fees) presented in the packet. Committee moved it to the full board.

- Dunbar School elevator modernization (full modernization; contractor KONE). Committee moved it to the full board.

- Discovery School outdoor classroom (new outdoor classroom / playground replacement; contractor Compan). Cost (including bond fees) in the packet. Committee moved it to the full board.

- JFK campus playground extension (replace worn surfacing and extend play area near High Horizons). Committee moved it to the full board.

- Nutrition center presentation was tabled; Garcia said the nutrition overview will be presented at the next facilities committee meeting.

Committee members discussed prioritization and the process for selecting projects; members asked for earlier access to playground and facilities assessments so the board can align funding decisions with district priorities.

Naming recommendation

Principal Thompson raised a separate item: a recommendation to consider naming Harding High School’s auditorium for alumnus and musician Deon Kipping (transcript spelling “Deon Kipping”), who graduated in 1997 and has national recognition. Thompson said, “Our auditorium is currently unnamed,” and described community support for the proposal. The committee voted to ask the superintendent to follow the district’s naming policy process (the committee recommended that the superintendent form the naming committee and return a recommendation to the full board for a final decision).

Votes at a glance (committee)

- Fairchild Wheeler HVAC coil contract — motion to forward to full board: approved (committee vote: 3–0 yes). Note: emergency purchase of 12 coils was used to address an immediate glycol leak; funds are capital.

- JFK administrative elevator modernization — motion to forward to full board: approved (committee vote: 3–0 yes).

- Dunbar School elevator modernization — motion to forward to full board: approved (committee vote: 3–0 yes).

- Discovery School outdoor classroom — motion to forward to full board: approved (committee vote: 3–0 yes).

- JFK campus playground extension — motion to forward to full board: approved (committee vote: 3–0 yes).

- Table nutrition center presentation to next meeting — approved (committee vote: 3–0 yes).

- Refer naming of Harding auditorium to superintendent to initiate naming-policy process — approved (committee vote: 3–0 yes).

What committee members said

Committee chair Jennifer Perez and members repeatedly thanked facilities staff. Member Albert Benahan thanked staff directly: “I take it out of my hat for all your employees because they are amazing,” he said. Member Andre Woodson pressed on capital and grant strategy and supported asking the superintendent to convene the naming committee.

What’s next

Garcia said the facilities master plan will be released to the board on the 20th of the month (presentation date in the meeting materials) and that community engagement sessions were planned for March 31, April 2 and April 3 at city high schools; the committee will receive a pre-briefing before the community meetings. Several items forwarded by the committee will appear for full-board votes at the next regular meeting.

Reporting note: The article reports directly from the committee presentation and the formal committee votes; it does not infer outcomes at the full board or outside the meeting record.