The City of Hartford is confronting a series of difficult financial decisions as Mayor Arunan Arulampalam prepares to present his budget proposal Monday, with growing concern over a projected deficit within Hartford Public Schools.
City officials say the school district is facing a multimillion-dollar shortfall, raising questions about how much additional funding the Board of Education will request.
“Obviously I can’t talk about our larger budget without talking about the fiscal situation in our Board of Ed,” Arulampalam said.
The mayor warned that the district’s latest projected needs may be unsustainable for taxpayers.
For the 2025–2026 fiscal year, Hartford’s school budget totaled $452 million.
City officials now say the Board of Education has projected a $74.5 million deficit for fiscal year 2027.
Arulampalam said shifting that burden onto residents is not a viable option.
“Our residents cannot afford to pay 26% in additional taxes, it would be devastating for so many families,” he said.
Over the past two years, the city and state have contributed an additional $34 million to the district. Despite that increase, school officials say costs — particularly in special education — continue to rise.
Caitlin Richard, chief financial officer for Hartford Public Schools, said roughly one-third of the district’s budget is spent on special education tuition, including payments to other districts, regional programs and private facilities.
“Right now about one-third of the budget is to special ed tuition,” Richard said. “It’s about $100 million in our budget right now.”
Richard said those costs are increasing between 8% and 10% annually, making it difficult to plan long-term budgets and contributing to the growing deficit.
She added that district leaders are asking state lawmakers to set standardized rates for special education tuition to help control costs.
City officials said the Board of Education has suggested using Hartford’s $48 million rainy day fund to offset part of the deficit. However, Arulampalam warned that doing so could jeopardize the city’s financial stability.
He said relying on reserve funds could put Hartford at risk of returning to the brink of bankruptcy, underscoring the difficult choices facing city leaders in the weeks ahead.
