Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy

Summary of HPS financials: 

• HPS faces a continual structural deficit, driven by flat revenue and rising costs

• Our deficit is driven by special education tuition and door-to-door transportation for Hartford resident students who do not attend Hartford Public Schools. This includes non-HPS magnet schools, open choice schools, and out-of-district placements

• Our deficit is currently projected to be: 

  • $22M for FY26 (the current year) 

  • $52.5M for FY27 ($45M deficit plus $7.5M in current one-time city funding) 

The Plan: 

• We are proposing what we need - not what we will cut - for FY27: 

  • We have cut significantly over the past decade - $70M and over 400 roles in the past three years alone. Further cuts will jeopardize student learning  

• State: We are focusing on specific legislative advocacy solutions to increase fiscal sustainability for HPS and address the structural issues in the long-term 

• City: As we work on the structural issues, we need one-time funding from the City’s fund balance to support FY2027 operations 

City Funding: 

• The City has a fund balance, which operates as a savings account. This money has been saved over time and can be used for one-time purchases as needed.

• The City’s current fund balance is $74M 

  • Of this, $48M is “unassigned,” meaning there is no current plan for it

  • The other $26M is “assigned,” which means there are plans for the money but they may not have happened yet 

• Last year, the City had a $25M surplus in their portion of the budget. This was because tax revenue was higher than projected and expenditures were lower than projected

  • Based on historical trends, the city is likely to have another surplus at the end of this year. These additional dollars go into the fund balance if not used 

HPS request: 

• We are asking the City to provide one-time funding from their fund balance to support FY26 and FY27 operations for Hartford Public Schools. The specific amount will be the total deficit minus any funds acquired from the state. This will ensure Hartford Public Schools survives the next school year as we pursue structural change.  

The Hartford Public Schools community is coordinating efforts to advocate for fair, updated education funding in the State of Connecticut.

Here’s what Hartford students need to keep thriving:

1. Updating public education funding for inflation (the ECS formula hasn’t been adjusted since 2013) and ending local tuition billing

2. Fully funding SEED and Excess Cost grants, including the rate‑setting commitments for special education and transportation made in the 2025 legislative session

3. Realigning Open Choice and administrative capacity so that sending districts—not receiving districts—are responsible for the IEPs and related costs of special education services

There are several ways you can help:

Give Testimony at the March 31 City of Hartford Public Hearing!

Upcoming Dates:

3/23: Mayor's Recommended Budget Released

4/1: First City Public Budget Hearing - Give Testimony!!!!
Time: Starts at 6:00pm
Location: Montessori Magnet at Batchelder School (Auditorium)
757 New Britain Ave., Hartford, CT

4/22: Board of Education Budget Meeting with City Council

4/28: Last City Public Budget Hearing - Give Testimony!!!!
Time: Starts at 6:00pm
Location: Weaver High School (Auditorium)
415 Granby Street, Hartford, CT

5/21: City Council adopts the budget