Bridgeport advocacy committee mobilizes statewide lobbying push to raise school funding
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Summary
Bridgeport’s ad hoc advocacy committee praised student testimony in Hartford and set a rapid advocacy schedule — including a March 4 press conference and participation in a March 25 statewide lobby day — to press lawmakers to raise the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) base and remove statutory “guardrails” that limit use of surplus funds.
Rob Traver, chair of the ad hoc advocacy committee for Bridgeport Public Schools, told members the district must sustain pressure on state lawmakers after a high-profile day of student testimony in Hartford and use a string of upcoming events to press for more funding.
"The students were clearly the stars up in Hartford," Traver said, describing how student speakers raised the profile of Bridgeport’s funding request. The committee endorsed two near-term public actions: a press conference at the Capitol on March 4 and joining the statewide Connecticut for All lobby day on March 25.
The committee centered its advocacy on changes to the Education Cost Sharing formula, commonly called ECS, which members said has not been adjusted for inflation in more than a decade. "It hasn't been increased for 13 years, and that's not gonna do it," Traver said, arguing that raising the ECS base — rather than waiting for a full formula overhaul — is the most achievable short-term goal in the current short legislative session.
Interim Superintendent Dr. Royce Abraham said the March 4 event will include students and superintendents from several urban districts and that organizers are coordinating logistics to allow student testimony before education committee hearings. "March 4 is... a press conference at the Capitol, with students and the superintendents of probably 6 different school districts around Connecticut," he said, urging the committee to recruit at least 15–20 students for the event.
Committee members discussed the governor’s proposal for a $500,000,000 capital-gains fund and warned there is ambiguity about whether that money can be directed to education. The chair described the state’s so-called "guardrails," rules that constrain spending from the surplus and require supermajorities to enact certain tax changes, and said a finance committee hearing later that week would consider removing those guardrails to allow surplus spending.
Speakers pressed for a concise set of asks for community supporters during the short session: targeted calls to specific legislators, short social-video clips with links to form letters, and localized mobilization by neighborhood or senate district. Kim McLaughlin and others urged political pressure in districts represented by members who may be reluctant to act, calling for boots-on-the-ground outreach and short, direct requests for constituents to call or testify.
Community advocates raised participation and access issues. Dr. Christine McFarland, who runs a life-skills program for pregnant teen parents, said her group can help mobilize a vulnerable population but needs clear directions on how to participate. "I'm the founder of the reset program with teen parents... there's so many barriers to that population," McFarland said, offering to connect families if the committee provides specific, manageable actions.
District staff provided clarifications on the financial picture. The administration estimated the district’s net loss from federal funding changes at roughly $1,000,000 but emphasized that the larger structural shortfall — cited as tens of millions in budget-gap discussions — makes ECS base increases a higher priority to avoid proposed cuts.
The committee also reviewed procedural steps for rapid advocacy: who to target on the education subcommittee of appropriations (noting Bridgeport currently lacks representation on that specific subpanel), options to temporarily highlight ECS information on the district website, and the communications team’s plan to amplify student testimony via short-form video and shareable links.
The chair circulated a testimony guide and urged anyone who wanted to speak at the finance committee hearing on Friday to register by 3:00 p.m. the day before the hearing. He also set the next committee meeting for Thursday the twelfth at 6:00 p.m. and closed the session.
Votes at a glance: The committee approved the minutes from the previous meeting (motion moved by Albert Benan Garajale and seconded by Sekovic; outcome announced as approved by voice vote). The meeting adjourned by motion and voice vote.
