Bridgeport school board member asks city for more education support

A Bridgeport school official is calling on the city to show more support for education just days before a public hearing about how education dollars are spent.

The city has added millions to the Board of Education budget over the last few years.

"Our mayor ran on a platform in 2015 that if he was elected, he would fully fund the Bridgeport Pubic Schools," said board member Maria Pereira.  

"He has now proposed his fourth consecutive budget without one additional dollar for over 20,000 children.  We've already made $38 million in devastating cuts in the public schools in the last three years. If we don't receive the $16 million we need this year, we will have made $54 million in cuts to the most impoverished public school system in the state of Connecticut," said Pereira.  

The public hearing on education spending is set for April 23 at 6 p.m.

A city spokesman said, "The administration continues to work with the Board of Ed to meet the challenges of the city budget -- and looks forward to receiving an equitable share of education funding from both the Dalio Foundation and the state."