When Bridgeport’s City Council approved this year’s $511.1 million city budget, it included a core school budget of $215.8 million. That is the same amount that was budgeted last year.
Last year’s school budget was balanced, in part, from a series of budget cuts proposed by Paul Vallas, Bridgeport’s $229,000, part-time, interim superintendent of schools, and approved by Bridgeport’s illegal board of education. The final gap was covered by a $3.5 million dollar forgivable loan from the State of Connecticut.
A budget is a type of a law. It is a blueprint of how the public’s money will be spent.
Although this year’s school budget is for the same amount as last year’s, some spending categories have been increased and others have been decreased.
To date, the focus has been on Vallas’ claim that he “cut” one-third of the school system’s “central office” costs, although considering he’s brought in a cadre of high-priced