Bridgeport schools officials propose $288M budget to cover rising costs

BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport Public Schools officials expect $288.5 million in operating costs next year and plan to ask the city to increase its contribution by more than $12 million.

Marlene Siegel, the school system’s chief financial officer, told the Board of Education last week that the district needs to increase its annual budget by $26.5 million to cover mounting expenses.

“Even with our best efforts we are still encountering significant growth in cost factors,” Siegel said during a meeting of the board’s finance committee.

Siegel said the district’s rising operating costs are largely driven by mounting transportation, energy and labor expenses. The cost of paying staff salaries, for example, is expected to grow by $5.3 million next year.

Under the yet-to-be-approved budget, the state would contribute an expected $190.4 million, up $1.5 million from a year ago, and the city would provide an additional $85.4 million. The district receives another $34.5 million in federal and state grants.

Siegel, however, said it was “probably unrealistic” to expect the city’s contribution to rise by $12.4 million. The district received $73 million last year, which represented a modest $2 million increase from the year before.

Bridgeport schools are among the worst funded in the state, ranking 145 out of the state’s 166 school districts in average spending per student. During the 2020-21 school year, the district spent $16,954 on each pupil, compared to $21,756 in Hartford, $19,641 in Stamford and $18,870 in New Haven.

The district is facing increased costs even after years of declining enrollment. Though the schools are expected to gain a few dozen students next year, total enrollment has dropped by nearly 1,600 since 2017.

Siegel noted that despite the overall decrease, the number of English language learners and students in special education programs has increased considerably in recent years, requiring the district to hire new staffers. The two groups now make up 26 percent and 19 percent of the study body, respectively.

“We’ve not been able to reduce the number of classes due to the caps on class size and school organization — and we have growing populations of students with special needs who need more intensive services,” Siegel said.

A nationwide shortage of teachers has also put pressure on the school system’s finances. Siegel said the district has largely been forced to hire veteran educators to fill vacancies that otherwise would have been taken by a less experienced teacher on a lower salary.

“We’re glad that we’re able to fill the positions, and we’re filling them with experienced teachers when we are able to fill them, but there is a negative fiscal impact that we also have to confront,” she said.