Special Meeting of the Advocacy Ad Hoc Committee Wed 11/4/2026

The Bridgeport Public Schools Advocacy Ad Hoc Committee held a special meeting on November 4, 2026. Members and attendees discussed advocacy for increased Connecticut education funding, including the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula. The chair said the current base rate is $11,525 per student and advocated for a rate in the range of $16,500–$17,500, estimating that Bridgeport is underfunded by about $106 million (also described in discussion as roughly $100–$110 million). Attendees noted that the base rate has not increased in 13 years and discussed inflation, student needs, special education, poverty, and multilingual learners. They also raised the state’s PILOT program and broader options such as property-tax relief to build statewide support. The chair cited $180 million in additional state education funding secured in the prior session and said Bridgeport’s current city budget includes $10 million, with discussion of a possible additional $2 million; no new spending or procurement was approved at this meeting.

The committee discussed outreach, testimony, student and parent participation, and how to explain ECS funding needs through school-level examples and personal stories. Attendees raised concerns about school budget constraints, staffing, and how funding would be allocated among schools, and discussed the state Blue Ribbon Commission’s work. A motion to approve the May 21, 2026 minutes passed unanimously. The chair assigned an initial working group, coordinated by Tim, to develop an accessible funding presentation, with the goal of having materials ready for report-card conferences around Thanksgiving. The next meeting was set for December 3. No procurement activity was identified.