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Board approves $2.62 million seed grant to expand special‑education services
Summary
The board approved a $2,624,295 state seed grant to expand special‑education services, funding additional social workers, pre‑K teachers and district‑wide curriculum supports; board members clarified the grant cannot fund administrators or third‑party contract staff.
The Bridgeport Board of Education voted to approve a $2,624,295 special‑education expansion seed grant that district staff said will fund additional social workers, pre‑K teachers and curriculum to support students with disabilities.
The grant presenter (identified in the record as the district presenter for the seed grant) told the board the funds are targeted to student‑facing roles and programmatic materials. A board member asked whether the grant could be used for administrative positions; the presenter replied, “it has to be used for, specifically for students… we can't hire administrators. We can hire related service staff. We can hire paraprofessionals. We can hire teachers, because they will be working directly with the students” (seed grant presenter, SEG 512–521).
Another member asked about third‑party contractors; district staff confirmed third‑party contractors are not allowable uses for this grant. The motion to approve the grant was moved, seconded and passed by voice vote.
Why it matters: District officials said grant funding currently supports roughly 729 positions and about $129 million in investments over time, but much grant funding is restricted and one‑time; the approved seed grant is explicitly designed to expand sustained, student‑facing special‑education capacity.
What’s next: Staff said they will return with implementation details on hires, program timelines and sustainability plans during upcoming budget deliberations.
