With Bridgeport’s Public Schools facing a projected $39 million deficit, and the Bridgeport Board of Education adopting a $304 million operating budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, representing a reduction from the initially proposed $348 million budget, the Connecticut State Department of Education (DOE) released results of a previously ordered forensic audit of the school district’s finances.
The audit conducted by the firm CliftonLarsonAllen LLP examined the district’s operating budgets for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025. While no fraud or malfeasance was found, a number of issues were found with the way the school district’s finances were being handled. These included shifting expenditures into categories other that the actual category where they belonged when the actual categories reached their budgeted spending limits. Another issue concerned splitting a single payment into several smaller payments to avoid a requirement that any contract over $24,999 be subjected to the city’s competitive bidding requirements.
The DOE said that there were deficiencies related to board oversight, management communication, and financial transparency, which led to certain procedures not being followed and the misrepresentation of financial information.
According to DOE Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker. “The audit provides a clear and necessary roadmap to strengthen Bridgeport’s financial systems, including greater local board of education oversight, and restore confidence in its budgeting practices. This moment presents an opportunity to reset expectations and refocus our shared efforts on building a system rooted in stability, transparency, and trust — one that fully supports the 20,022 students in Bridgeport.”
The audit found that budget transfers were often made to cover budget shortfalls artificially, resulting in information regarding budget accuracy being obscured in routine review of the budget-to-actual financial results. These practices were either not disclosed to Bridgeport’s Board of Education or, when identified, were not acted upon. The audit also found that departments were frequently excluded from the budget development process and lacked access to timely data, weakening strategic decision-making.
The audit made 34 recommendations aimed at improving fiscal oversight, enhancing transparency, and reinforcing internal accountability within the district.
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim said, “We are reviewing the detailed findings and recommendations and look forward to continue working with the commissioner’s technical assistance team to implement these recommendations and help improve the Bridgeport Board of Education’s fiscal oversight, enhanced transparency and internal accountability. I will be discussing these findings in depth with the city and Bridgeport Public Schools management teams to ensure swift implementation.”
