Tumultuous Budget Season Continues for Southwest Connecticut Schools

Kelly Prinz -

Just when school districts across the region were finalizing their budgets for the upcoming year, officials got a new curveball thrown their way. The Trump administration said it was freezing more than $6 billion in federal funding that was supposed to be distributed to schools and day camp providers starting on July 1. In Connecticut, more than $50 million in funding for public schools and community groups is currently being withheld. 

The funding, which supports after-school and summer programs, English language instruction, adult literacy and more, is frozen while the administration “ensures the grants align with President Donald Trump’s priorities,” according to a report from the Associated Press. The money was approved by Congress in March. 

The School and State Finance Project, a nonpartisan policy organization in the state, found that “Connecticut's highest-need school districts are projected to see the greatest losses.”

Bridgeport would see the largest loss of federal funds in the state, a reduction of $3.8 million. The loss of federal funds would cause even more challenges for the district—and others in the region—that have already had difficult budget seasons. 

Southwest Connecticut School District Budgets for 2025-2026

Across the region, all districts saw an increase in funding compared to last year, but many districts still made cuts to staff and programs. Officials cited the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic relief grants had expired, leaving budgetary holes, as well as increased costs for special education, transportation, and benefits as why the cuts were necessary. 

And while all districts saw an increase in their funding, many did not get as much from the local or state government as they had asked for. 

In some districts, like Norwalk, parents and community members came out in force protesting cuts to beloved programs like music and band. That prompted Mayor Harry Rilling and State Senator Bob Duff to allocate an additional $6.5 million in city and state funding to reinstate many of the proposed cuts. 

“It is with immense gratitude that the district thanks Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and Mayor Rilling for their integral role in securing the $6.5 million dollar appropriation,” Norwalk Superintendent of Schools Alexandra Estrella said in a statement. “Reaching this final budget has been a difficult and emotional process. The decisions made—particularly those involving staffing reductions—have weighed heavily on all of us because they impact the people who make our schools strong.”

Still, that funding didn’t save all the positions as cuts were still made, particularly in the district’s central office. Other districts, like Bridgeport, were facing even larger budget gaps and had to make deep cuts. The district cut dozens of teachers, 15 librarians, transportation for hundreds of students, administrative roles, and a highly regarded performing arts after-school program. 

Budgets Highlight Disparities 

But while many districts had to make some tough budget decisions, disparities exist across the region in how much communities are able to spend on education.

In Bridgeport, the district spends about $18,922 per student, based on data from the School and State Finance Project, while Greenwich spends the most per student at $27,791. Other districts per pupil spends are:

  • Stamford: $23,201
  • Norwalk: $22,245
  • Fairfield: $24,113
  • Darien: $25,891
  • Westport: $26,864

But districts also have extremely different populations. In the 2024-2025 school, Bridgeport had 92.6% of its student population classified as high needs, according to data from the School and State Finance Project. High needs students are defined as those with a disability, a multilingual learner, or one who is eligible for free or reduced price lunch. The percentage of students varies greatly across the region.

  • Stamford: 67.3% of students are classified as high needs
  • Norwalk: 67.1% of students are classified as high needs
  • Fairfield: 33.3% of students are classified as high needs
  • Greenwich: 33% of students are classified as high needs
  • Darien: 22.9% of students are classified as high needs
  • Westport: 16.9% of students are classified as high needs

Bridgeport also has the largest overall number of students with about 20,000 total students. Other school populations include: 

  • Stamford: about 16,000
  • Norwalk: about 11,000 
  • Fairfield: about 9,100
  • Greenwich: about 8,500
  • Darien: about 4,700
  • Westport: about 5,300

Impact of Federal Funds

In southwest Connecticut, approximately $7.5 million is currently in limbo. Here’s the breakdown by school district, according to an analysis from the School and State Finance Project. The districts with the highest need students are projected to be hit the hardest.

  • Bridgeport: $3.8 million
  • Darien: $42,667
  • Fairfield: $397,259
  • Greenwich: $284,073
  • Norwalk: $1 million
  • Stamford: $1.96 million
  • Westport: $75,496

The money that’s currently being withheld from local districts goes toward teacher and school leader supports to help improve classroom instruction, services for multilingual language learners, additional programming that aims to provide “well-rounded education opportunities, safe and healthy students, and effective technology use,” before and after-school programming, and adult literacy. 

Officials are still working to determine what the impact of this freeze will be. Norwalk’s Board of Education plans to discuss the issue at its meeting on Tuesday, July 15.