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Bridgeport education official urges residents and council to testify on state school funding bill
Summary
Joe Skalovec, vice chair of the Bridgeport Board of Education, told the council that Senate Bill 7 would leave Bridgeport $26 million short and urged local leaders and residents to testify to raise the foundation amount to $16,500; he said $44.1 million is needed to maintain current services and $106 million to restore cuts from the last decade.
Joe Skalovec, vice chair of the Bridgeport Board of Education, used his allotted public comment time on March 2 to urge residents and council members to take part in a state education funding hearing and press for changes to Senate Bill 7.
"Bridgeport students need this year $44,100,000 alone just to maintain services," Skalovec said, and he warned that the bill as written would leave the district "$26,000,000 short." He asked advocates to push for amending the bill to raise the foundation amount to $16,500, saying that funding at that level "would not only prevent any cuts, but will restore many of the cuts over the last decade." Skalovec said the advocacy aim is a $106,000,000 restoration to recover positions and services lost over several years.
Skalovec identified the urgency of public testimony before Hartford and invited council members who had not already done so to submit written or verbal testimony; he said handouts and links were available to help community members and officials prepare remarks. He provided a contact number for assistance and framed the request as a nonpartisan plea on behalf of students, noting the electoral calendar but urging officials not to remain silent while funding decisions are made.
What happens next: Skalovec asked council members and residents to use provided testimony guides and the emailed links to participate in the state hearing process. The council did not take a formal vote or issue a resolution on the matter during the meeting.
