Joint Statement: Interim Superintendent Dr. Royce Avery, Mayor Joseph P. Ganim, the Bridgeport City Council, the Bridgeport Board of Education, and the Bridgeport Legislative Delegation

[District Communications]

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

January 23, 2026 

-STATEMENT- 

Joint Statement from Interim Superintendent Dr. Royce Avery, Mayor Joseph P. Ganim, the Bridgeport City Council, the Bridgeport Board of Education, and the Bridgeport Legislative Delegation

BRIDGEPORT, CT — January 23, 2026 —As we approach budget season, we stand united in a shared commitment to advocate for the resources necessary to support Bridgeport Public Schools. Our children and our students remain a top priority, and this moment reflects a collective responsibility to do what is right for them.

These challenges were not created overnight. Decades of flat or limited school funding, combined with rising costs and increasing student needs, have brought Bridgeport Public Schools to a critical point. This is a long-standing situation that requires honest acknowledgment and coordinated action.

Despite serving students with some of the highest needs in Connecticut, Bridgeport Public Schools has not received funding that fully reflects those needs. Together, we are standing for our students, our families, our city, and our future.

Today, the City of Bridgeport, including the Mayor’s Office, the Bridgeport City Council, the Bridgeport Board of Education, and the Bridgeport Legislative Delegation, is working closer than ever in a unified effort to address these challenges.

At the same time, Bridgeport Public Schools continues to work closely with the State of Connecticut to strengthen and streamline financial systems, including implementing the 34 recommendations from the forensic audit. This work is focused on accountability, transparency, and long-term stability.

By standing together as city leaders, educators, legislators, and community members, we reaffirm our shared responsibility to students and our belief that educational opportunity should not be determined by zip code.