Bridgeport school officials report 517-student decline in October 1 head count, warn of funding impact

Bridgeport Public Schools officials told the Board of Education on Oct. 14 that the district’s October 1 collection shows about 517 fewer students than at the same time last year, a shortfall superintendent staff said could reduce future state funding if the trend continues.

The report, delivered by Chief Information Officer Paratha during the superintendent’s report in place of Dr. Avery, said the district’s October 1 data (the state’s snapshot used for funding) remains open for corrections through the state’s freeze date of Jan. 31, 2026. Paratha said the district’s head count as of Oct. 9 was approximately 19,132 students and that specific grade-level declines include about 165 fewer first-graders and about 133 fewer fourth-graders compared with last year.

The report mattered to board members because Connecticut’s school funding model uses the October 1 count for state payments. “As of today, we’re about 517 students short of where we were last year,” Paratha told the board, adding that the October 1 number drives the state’s payment calculations and that students who enter after the freeze date generally do not generate additional state funding for the district.

Why it matters: Board members warned the enrollment loss will eventually reduce state revenue. Board member Sikalovic estimated the long-term effect as “517 times $11,000” per student if the decline persists, saying the district is held harmless for a time but will face fiscal pressure as cohorts matriculate.

Key details from the presentation: Paratha said Bridgeport has seen 1,630 withdrawals since July 1 and 2,312 entries in the same period, illustrating a high churn rate. He identified the two largest exit categories as transfers to charter schools (about 563 students since July 1) and transfers to other Connecticut public districts (about 524 students). Paratha also said district-wide mobility (the state’s joiners-plus-leavers formula) can reach roughly 30% by year’s end and cited building-level examples: Hall School’s mobility was about 22.38% and Dunbar’s about 21.37 at the time of the report.

Paratha also flagged a decline in multilanguage learner (MLL/ELL) enrollment of approximately 263 students year over year. He said special education counts remain relatively stable. The district’s enrollment office has extended hours and individualized assistance to help families register, Paratha said, and staff are working to reconcile concurrent registrations where two districts claim a student was present on Oct. 1.

Charter school enrollments and other enrollment data: The presentation included counts of Bridgeport residents enrolled in nearby charter operators: Achievement First (1,092 Bridgeport students), Capital Preparatory (828), Great Oaks (772), New Beginnings (495), Park City Prep (459) and Bridge Academy (320). Paratha said Aquaculture (Aqua) had roughly “close to 300” Bridgeport students and Central Magna’s magnet program had 452 students. He cautioned that some figures will be refined in follow-up reports.

Board response and context: Board members repeatedly pressed for additional breakdowns — including MLL share among students leaving for charters, the number of Bridgeport students in Fairchild Wheeler’s roster, and neighborhood-level mobility patterns — and asked staff to return with more granular data. Sikalovic suggested the state funding model (the October 1 snapshot) understates the district’s actual service load because many students arrive after the freeze date.

Public comment and context: During public comment, Jess Resto, PAC president at Park City Magnet School, praised acting superintendent Dr. Avery and facilities staff for a recent school beautification effort, saying “Bridgeport kids deserve this kind of love and leadership.” That comment was unrelated to the enrollment presentation but part of the same meeting.

What’s next: Staff said they will continue reconciling October 1 records through the Jan. 31 freeze date, provide more detailed demographic and charter-transfer breakdowns at a future meeting, and bring additional mobility and magnet-program analyses for the board’s review.

Ending: Board members emphasized the operational and fiscal urgency of the enrollment trend and requested follow-up materials that break down charter transfers, post–Oct. 1 arrivals, and per-school mobility so they can assess budget implications and recruitment/outreach strategies.