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Bridgeport board strikes transfer regulation, tightens transfer rules and sends 3,000‑series policies to second read
Summary
Trustees voted to remove regulation R31‑60 (transfers between budget categories), amend language to require approvals for cross‑category transfers, clarify property‑use fee approvals, and move the revised 3,000‑series policies to a second reading at the next board meeting.
The Bridgeport Board of Education voted to remove regulation R31‑60, which governed transfers of funds between budget categories, and approved related language changes to clarify when the superintendent may move money within object codes and when transfers must come before the board.
Board members debated whether the draft text was boilerplate and not tailored to Bridgeport. A board member said the regulation repeatedly refers to a "business manager" and to town‑meeting/selectmen processes that do not align with local practice, calling the language "boilerplate" and suggesting removal. After discussion about appropriate thresholds, one board member argued, "I really think the board needs a protection of approval of $25,000," urging a consistent trigger point that matches other district thresholds. The board voted by voice to amend the language (changing "between" to "within" major object codes) and then approved a separate motion to strike R31‑60 outright.
Members also clarified reporting and approval procedures for fees tied to use of school property. A board member asked who sets those fees; staff and another board member said the administration presents an annual fee schedule but the board establishes rates. The board approved revised language requiring that "any change in fees will be recommended to and approved by the Board of Education."
On procedural follow‑up, trustees instructed the administration to modernize outdated language across the packet — including payroll and inventory regulations — and to present cleaned, updated drafts at the second reading. The board then voted to accept the first read of the 3,000‑series as amended and to forward the revised policies to a second reading at the next full board meeting.
The board did not set dollar‑amount rollbacks or implement an immediate prohibition on routine operational transfers; instead the revised wording distinguishes transfers "within" object‑code categories (which the superintendent may make within approved limits) from transfers that cross categories, which will require board notification or approval. The administration will furnish monthly transfer reports to the board to increase transparency.
The second reading of the revised policies was scheduled for the next board meeting; staff were asked to present changes in a marked color and to circulate read‑only documents to avoid accidental edits.
