Bridgeport officials warn of deep budget shortfalls; cuts could include closures and layoffs, staff say
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Summary
School district leaders and board members warned that if anticipated state and city funding does not materialize, Bridgeport faces tens of millions in shortfalls that would likely require personnel reductions, school consolidations and service cuts; staff outlined efficiency measures and items for additional analysis.
Bridgeport School District leaders told the operations committee on March 4 that they are preparing lists of budget cuts and operational savings options after warning that a likely shortfall could reach into the tens of millions of dollars.
Superintendent Dr. Avery briefed the committee on work with state support teams to implement 34 audit recommendations and on steps to use more of the district’s Munis financial system to automate HR and finance workflows. "We have 34 recommendations," the superintendent said, describing weekly meetings with the deputy commissioner and a set of five priority cost areas staff is studying: special-education transportation, 1-to-1 paraprofessionals, out-of-district placements, substitute staffing and teacher attendance.
Board members pressed for specifics about scale and impact. One member warned that a full restoration of the ECS foundation (cited in discussion as a possible legislative bill increase) could translate to about $18 million for Bridgeport but still leave an estimated $26 million shortfall, and said, "We're living for a world of hurt" if cuts are required. Committee members emphasized that most remaining savings are not "low-hanging fruit" and that personnel costs make up the largest share of the budget.
Staff said closing underused buildings is on the list of potential measures. A facilities estimate cited during discussion put potential operational savings from closing three schools at about $3 million annually (excluding personnel), and staff estimated roughly $8 million in energy savings if all buildings were closed — though speakers cautioned that closures alone would not avoid reducing staff and would carry student and community impacts.
Several committee members urged caution about special-education cuts, noting past state intervention over program decisions tied to finances. The superintendent and staff repeatedly urged that any programmatic changes protect students’ rights to a free and appropriate education and that additional detail about options and dollar amounts will be returned to the board in the coming weeks.
On operational tools, staff said the district currently uses about 75% of Munis’s functionality and plans fuller implementation to improve requisition, hiring and payroll controls. The meeting closed with staff committing to provide more detailed lists of proposed cuts, costs and timelines for board consideration.