Bridgeport Mayor Proposes $10M Increase In School Funding, Urges State To Revise Aid Formula

BRIDGEPORT, CT — Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim on Thursday proposed increasing the city’s contribution to public schools by $10 million over the next two fiscal years, part of a broader effort he said is needed to address funding disparities in Connecticut’s education system.

The proposal, which will be included in the mayor’s upcoming budget plan, would raise the city’s annual contribution to the Bridgeport Board of Education by $5 million in the next fiscal year and by an additional $5 million the following year. If approved, the increase would represent the two largest single-year increases in municipal education spending in the city’s history and raise the city’s minimum budget requirement for schools.

In an opinion column submitted to the Connecticut Post, Ganim also called on state lawmakers to increase the base amount used in Connecticut’s Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula, the primary mechanism for distributing state aid to school districts. The foundation level of the formula — currently about $11,525 per student — has not been increased since 2013.

"For far too long, Connecticut’s school funding system has failed cities like Bridgeport and the 19,000 students we serve," Ganim said in a statement. "Our children are just as talented and deserving as any in this state, yet their opportunities are too often dictated by a ZIP code rather than their potential. I want to thank the members of the Bridgeport legislative delegation for leading the fight in Hartford for a fairer funding formula for our students.

"While protecting Bridgeporters from the unfair burdens of local property taxes has been a central concern during my tenure as mayor, we must be part of the solution on the local level. I encourage the City Council to support this proposed funding increase for the BOE during the upcoming budget process."

The mayor has previously emphasized limiting increases in local property taxes but said the additional funding for education is necessary.

City Council President Jeanette Herron and Budget Co-Chairs Ernest Newton and Richard Ortiz said in a joint statement that they support the proposal and plan to advocate for it during the council’s budget deliberations.

"We thank Mayor Ganim for working collaboratively with us to put forth this proposal," the joint statement reads. "This proposal represents an unprecedented turning point for Bridgeport’s students. We have many competing needs in this city, but we refuse to let education take a back seat any longer. By working alongside Mayor Ganim to deliver the largest municipal funding increase in our city’s history, we are sending a clear message: Bridgeport is putting its students first. We look forward to championing this investment throughout the Council’s budget process."

Bridgeport Public Schools serves more than 19,000 students, making it the largest school district in Connecticut. Like other urban districts, it faces higher costs related to services such as special education, transportation, and programs for English language learners.

Ganim argued in his op-ed that the ECS formula does not reflect the current costs of education or inflation, which he said has contributed to funding gaps between urban districts and wealthier communities with larger property tax bases.

The mayor also called for broader revisions to the formula to better account for districts with higher concentrations of poverty, English language learners, and special education needs.

Under Ganim’s proposal, the city would increase its contribution to the school system while continuing to press state officials for additional education funding. The City Council is expected to review the proposal as part of its annual budget process.