Bridgeport board ratifies three-year administrators' contract after brief debate

The Bridgeport Board of Education on Jan. 15 ratified a three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Bridgeport Council of Administrators and Supervisors (BCAS) that the district said begins Sept. 1, 2026, and runs through August 2029.

Floyd Dugas, who presented the settlement to the board, said the agreement reflects market comparisons and negotiated compromises. Key terms he described include a 2.75% general wage increase each year for most positions; elimination of a lower principal tier so principals in smaller schools are paid at the same tier as larger-school principals; a tuition-reimbursement benefit of $500 per credit up to six credits (with a $30,000 annual budget cap); a modest travel stipend for certain positions who travel between schools ($25 per pay period for 10 months); and removed language on early-retirement incentives. Dugas also described changes to health-insurance cost-sharing designed to freeze higher pre-2014 contributor percentages while letting others phase in to more competitive levels.

Several board members asked clarifying questions during the presentation. One member raised whether district wellness programs could meaningfully reduce premiums; Dugas said the state partnership plan includes wellness programming but that empirical results are mixed. Board members also flagged a drafting error in the presentation summary where Dugas had reversed which tier previously paid more; he reviewed and corrected the summary during the meeting.

When the board moved to ratify the agreement, some members said they could not vote affirmatively without seeing the full contract document in the board portal. One member said they would vote no because the contract had not been posted. The motion to ratify was moved and seconded; the board chair called for the vote and the motion carried. The public roll-call recorded two "no" votes (Audrey Woodson and Joseph Sikalovic) and at least one abstention (Willie Medina).