State Could Get Hand In Selection Of Bridgeport Superintendent For $3.5 Million Loan

State officials could get more influence in picking the next leader of Bridgeport’s troubled schools under one of the budget bills moving in Tuesday’s special session.

A provision in one of the budget bills would allow the state to lend the city of Bridgeport up to $3.5 million. The state could forgive the loan and allow Bridgeport to keep part or all of the money—provided Bridgeport’s school district follows a number of conditions.

Among those conditions are a requirement that Bridgeport select its next superintendent or chief financial officer by submitting lists of candidates to state Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor. The commissioner would be able to approve some or all of the candidates and then Bridgeport school board members would be able to select a winning candidate from the approved list.

The provision is part of a bill approved by the House earlier tonight in a 88-53 vote, mostly along party lines. The Senate is now beginning its debate on the measure, one of two bill that implements the state’s $20.5 billion annual budget.

Unless the state waives payments of the loan, Bridgeport would have to pay back the money in three installments by the year 2015.

Ben Barnes, the secretary of the state’s of policy and management said the state wanted to have some control over the troubled district with doing a complete takeover.

“We wanted to make a condition that would ensure that there were good candidates but we’re obviously mindful of local control,” Barnes said. “This seemed like a good balance.”

But House Minority Leader Rep. Larry Cafero, R-Norwalk, criticized the proposal because he said it was not heard before a legislative committee in either chamber during the regular legislative session.

“Unprecedented, never heard of it,” Cafero said of the proposal. “Is it a good idea or a bad idea? You know what, it’s unusual, it might be a good idea, but how would we know? We never had a public hearing on it!”