For Immediate Release, October 2, 2007
Catherine Onyemelukwe, Director, Development and Communications
203-549-0075 x 14
conyemelukwe@bcacct.org

 

Bridgeport Schools Shortchanged Again
Broken Budget Process Means Neglected School Repairs

 

BRIDGEPORT, CT—Bridgeport schools have been neglected for years. Not just the children, but the buildings themselves have suffered.

The Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition today released its latest fact-finding report, “Denied, Delayed and Diverted: Problems with Funding School Repair Projects in Bridgeport.” This report demonstrates the chronic neglect of Bridgeport’s school buildings with powerful statistics, timelines, and facts.

Edie Cassidy, Chairwoman of BCAC, says, “We should show our children and teachers that we value them. A safe and healthy learning environment does that. The education capital budget process is broken and needs repairing – just like our schools.”

BCAC’s report shows why schools are not being repaired and details the “broken” education capital budget process.

BCAC applauds the City’s construction of 4 new schools, but asks why the City is ignoring its 34 aging schools. 18,500 students are in the old and deteriorating school buildings, while the 4 new schools will have a student enrollment of just 3,850.

Rev. Anthony Bennett, pastor of Bridgeport’s Mount Aery Baptist Church and BCAC board member, says, “Our children feel the effects of this neglect every day. How can the City continue to deny, delay and divert funding for school repairs?”

BCAC studied the last five years of Bridgeport’s education capital budgets. Over these years the Board of Education requested $52 million in its education capital budgets, the City Council approved about 1/3 of what was requested, and then the City funded only about one tenth of the amount needed for essential school repairs.

Hernan Illingworth is the President of the Classical Studies Parent Advisory Council, a member of the district-wide PAC Executive Committee and the Co-Chair of BCAC’s Education Task Force.  He says, “When we look at City bonding for city projects over the same five years, we see that the amount is more than twice the amount the city bonded for school repair projects.  What does this say about the City’s priorities?”

No money for education capital budgets was approved in two of the last five years by the City Council. In three of the five years, the City bonded no money for education capital budget projects.

Marge Hiller, Executive Director, Bridgeport Public Education Fund, and Co-Chair of BCAC’s Education Task Force says, “No wonder our schools are deteriorating! No suburb would allow the run-down condition in some of our schools.”

Even when funds were approved and bonded, BCAC’s report finds that funds have been diverted. BCAC found numerous instances of the amount bonded for a school repair project listed in the City capital budget. And in a subsequent year, the amount either disappeared entirely or was reduced.

Bridgeport’s City Charter states that after bonds have been issued and funds are transferred to the City, bond funds will be “kept in separate accounts according to the purpose or purposes for which such bonds were authorized and shall be used solely for the purpose or purposes for which such bonds were authorized.”  But this has not been the practice. Instead, the practice has been for the Mayor and Director of Finance to reallocate bond funds. 

BCAC’s report also describes delays in the City’s use of $60.5 million in state bond money for school repair projects and the creation of “swing space” to provide classroom space while major school renovations are completed.  The use of these State funds for school repair projects and renovations have been delayed since 2004. As of March 2007, the City accessed less than 1/4 of the $25 million for repairs and none of the

$35.5 million for swing space. Today the City has finally started to use this $60.5 million from the State, but the 3-year delay is unconscionable when needs are so great.

This “broken” education capital budget process has left school repair projects not started, not completed and in limbo.  These include door, ceiling, floor and window replacements, fire alarm replacements, and lead paint abatement.

BCAC makes a number of recommendations to fix the “broken” education capital budget process.  We urge the City: to provide adequate funding for needed school repair projects and rely on the Board of Education to set its own priorities; and to issue bonds for education capital projects and spend them promptly and only on education capital projects.

We recommend that the Board of Education develop, annually update, and approve a five-year school facility master plan to address all the problems with the physical condition or functionality of school buildings. This plan should include ongoing upgrades and improvements as well as new school construction.

All data used in BCAC’s report came from the City, Board of Education, or State Department of Education.

The Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC) is a coalition of about 80 local agencies, churches, synagogues, and community organizations committed to improving the well-being of Bridgeport’s children. For over 20 years, BCAC has combined research, advocacy, community education and mobilization to ensure health, safety, and education for all of Bridgeport’s children.

#