Yesterday, Connecticut’s State Department of Education (CSDE) announced that full bus services for Bridgeport Public Schools (BPS) students will be restored after negotiations between the district’s bus company and CSDE. Prior to the announcement, up to 2,400 students faced a loss in bus services heading into the school year.
“Through the hard work of our Technical Assistance Team, we were able to help secure a more cost-effective agreement that reduces student walking distances and restores safe, reliable bus service for Bridgeport students,” said Charlene Russell-Tucker, CSDE’s Commissioner. “Reliable transportation is essential for attendance, engagement, and student success, and I am grateful that, together with the City of Bridgeport and the transportation company, we can provide this stability and peace of mind for students and families.”
In January, CSDE officials announced they would intervene on behalf of BPS to address its $38 million budget shortfall, as well as other district issues, such as revolving leadership and failure to meet state education standards. In April, Bridgeport’s school board voted for a half-mile increase to the distance students must live from their school in order to receive bus services, in a move to cut a projected $4.6 million off of the district’s budgetary deficit. In May, Bridgeport’s City Council signed off on a budget that allocated an additional $875,000 for city schools’ bus services.
“Student safety is our top priority and now, thanks to Commissioner Russell-Tucker and the State Department of Education partnering with the City, we are able to restore walking distances for our K-12 students,” said Joe Ganim, Bridgeport’s Mayor. “Attendance is a critical asset to student success and with this, our intention is to ensure our schools are easily accessible to our students while giving Bridgeport parents a sense of security.”
The CSDE’s release said that it is “working diligently” with BPS on its effort to ensure bus services, and said its plan “restores and streamlines routes that had been cut,” to ensure students “once again have safe and reliable transportation for the school year.”
On February 25, Russell-Tucker announced the creation of a Technical Assistance Team to work with district officials on implementing district-wide changes. Per CSDE, the team is focused on the district’s finances and instructional initiatives. CSDE subcontracted an audit of the district’s finances, which was completed in July. While the audit found “no evidence of fraud or misappropriation,” it did reveal “several deficiencies” in the district’s financial management and reporting practices.
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