THE END RESULT:
BRIDGEPORT SCHOOLS ARE A BIG WINNER IN THE STATE BUDGET
Leave No City Behind Campaign
for Equitable State Education Funding
Four years ago, BCAC researched state education funding to the largest cities in Connecticut. What we found astonished us.
For comparable numbers of students and student demographics, Hartford schools receive $22 million more in state education funding than Bridgeport schools. This started a four year effort to educate our own community and legislators in Hartford and to urge them to address the inequities.
This year, our efforts finally paid off…
$10.2 million more in state education funding for Bridgeport schools.
Good Research and Hard Work Pay Off in BCAC Campaign
to Increase State Education Funding to Bridgeport Schools
Here’s what we did.
- Developed a Power Point presentation based on research that we showed to more than 1,300 people in the greater Bridgeport area – and to dozens of legislators and legislative leaders
- Met state budget director who committed to addressing the imbalance in state education funding among the largest cities in the 2007 state budget
- Met with Bridgeport’s Mayor to request that he make education funding his #1 priority in Hartford and in an upcoming meeting with the Governor
- Mobilized 100 parents and community leaders to speak out about how education funding should be the #1 priority for Bridgeport’s legislative delegation in Hartford during 2007
- Organized an urban suburban legislative partnership that supported equitable state education funding for Bridgeport schools
- Mobilized 200 students, parents and community leaders to go to Hartford for a rally to highlight the needs of Bridgeport schools
- Generated hundreds of letters and postcards to legislative leaders, including posters with pictures of Bridgeport school children, during critical budget negotiations