Update on the FY 2026-2027 Budget
Hartford Public Schools faces a structural deficit, driven by special education tuition and transportation for students who do not attend HPS. 30% of HPS’ budget ($155M) is for students who attend non-HPS magnet schools, Open Choice schools, charter schools, and special education private placements. The structural deficit for FY 2026-27 is $52.5M.
In April, Hartford Public Schools proposed an itemized estimate of expenditures with a $60M ask. This represents the $52.5M structural deficit plus $5M in additional in-house special education programming and $3M in additional literacy interventionists to comply with the Alliance statute.
Since then, the state passed their budget and allocated significantly more funding to Hartford Public Schools, representing the largest increase from the state to HPS in history. The total amount of this funding for HPS for FY27 is $15.5M.
The city also passed their budget and allocated $10M more to HPS, contingent on HPS entering the new CT State Board of Education Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB)
The Hartford Board of Education must vote in order to enter the new CT State BOE Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB), which would provide fiscal intervention and oversight from the state and access to additional funding to cover the deficit. The Hartford Board of Education will be considering this opportunity over the course of the next month and will vote on a balanced budget by the end of June.
Our Students Earn the Seal of Biliteracy
I could not be more proud of our 224 seniors who earned the Connecticut Seal of Biliteracy this year. On Thursday evening, I joined colleagues, teachers, families, and students for the Hartford Public Schools Seal of Biliteracy Awards Night at our beautiful Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School campus auditorium to honor our Class of 2026 students who demonstrated proficiency in English and at least one additional world language. This year’s ceremony highlighted the extraordinary linguistic diversity in our district, featuring six trilingual students and two quadrilingual students. Most notably, we are proud to recognize one polyglot who has achieved mastery across five languages: English, Urdu, Hindi, Spanish, and Punjabi.
The Seal of Biliteracy serves as a formal validation of our students’ cultural competence and rigorous academic effort, providing them with a competitive advantage in the global workforce and higher education. Each senior also received a cord to wear at their graduation ceremony; well-deserved bragging rights for being “too Bi-Lit to quit!”
Celebrating our Paraeducator of the Year Finalists
This morning, I joined members of our Office of Talent Management team, and Shelly Davis, President of the Hartford Federation of Paraeducators Local 2221 of the American Federation of Teachers, to surprise our three finalists for the Hartford Public Schools 2027 Paraeducator of the Year title, recognizing Ziomara Moquete at Kinsella Magnet School – Lower, Tiajah Rose at Wish Museum School, and finally, our winner, Daniela Figueroa from Hernán LaFontaine Classical Magnet School! The Paraeducator of the Year awards at Hartford Public School are part of Connecticut State’s 2027 Anne Marie Murphy Paraeducator of the Year in which winners are selected for the state honor by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and the School Paraprofessional Advisory Council later this year.
Hartford Public Library’s Downtown Branch Grand Total Re-Opening
I am honored to be invited to participate in Hartford Public Library’s grand total re-opening on Monday, June 1! In 2022, the library branch endured extensive water damage, and was temporarily closed. It has since partially re-opened. On Monday, the Downtown Branch will hold a ribbon-cutting to reveal new adult education classrooms, immigration and social services, the brilliant American Place, a Social Innovation Center, and the Capital Workforce Partners small business center. Check the Hartford Public Library website to stay updated on branch hours and specific event schedules for your neighborhood. HPL is a beloved partner, helping us raise the bar on literacy with programs like Boundless which provides literacy resources for our students and their families, and supports library branches in two of our schools, Rawson School and West Middle School.
Hartford Public Library’s Summer Reading Kick-off
The 2026 Summer Reading Challenge at Hartford Public Library is almost here! The summer reading program, June 15 to August 15, is designed for children and teens, ages 0 to 19, to keep the pages turning all summer long. Students! Read for 20 minutes daily, Monday through Friday, this summer and complete two learning activities a week to earn a prize—plus an entry into the library’s system-wide raffle every three weeks.
Join me on Saturday, June 6 from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM at HPL’s Downtown Branch at 500 Main Street for the exciting kick-off to the 2026 Summer Reading Program. The event features, music, mascots, games, and fun! Learn more about this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, Buzz Into a Book, and sign-up here, and learn more about the kick-off celebrations at all the Hartford library branches here.
Hartford Parent University Graduation
On Thursday morning, I was honored to present the Inspiring Parent Leader Award and to stand alongside members of Hartford Parent University as they held their 15th graduation ceremony for their Parent Leaders; Hartford parents who study advocacy in support of their child’s education. The graduates successfully completed 10 classes about leadership, navigating the school system, understanding parents’ rights in education, The Right to Read, leadership styles, family advocacy, education policies, and S.T.E.A.M education. Family engagement means improved achievement for our students.
Connecticut Middle School Outdoor Track State Championship Champs!
Twenty-three Hartford Public Schools middle school track student-athletes earned a chance to compete at the 18th Annual CT MS Outdoor Track State Championships held at Manchester High School this past Saturday. Athletes from Annie Fisher STEM, Classical Magnet, Dwight Bellizzi, Global Communications, Kennelly, Milner, Noah Webster, and Sport and Medical Sciences Academy qualified to participate in this meet. The following student-athletes placed and received medals for their performances:
- Santiago Reinoso from Dwight Bellizzi Dual Language Academy: Boys Shotput – 5th place
- Melvin Than from Hernán LaFontaine Classical Magnet School: Boys Long jump – 7th place
- Alberto Rivera from Noah Webster Microsociety Magnet School: Boys 55 meter hurdles – 7th place
- Giada Castra, Mariah Odum, Celess Simms, and Morgan Jenkins-Granville from Hernán LaFontaine Classical Magnet School: Girls 4×100 meter relay – 7th place
Congratulations to our young athletes for raising the bar on their health, on teamwork, and on getting ready for high school sports! Don’t miss our HPS Middle School Track and Field Championship on June 3 at 4:30 PM at Hartford Public High School!
Community Education Nights
Please join us at two community education events! On Tuesday, June 9 from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, our Strategic Partnerships team invites families and students to join us on Zoom for a virtual learning session about Dual Enrollment, or earning college credits while you’re still in high school. Click here to join!
On Tuesday, June 16 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, we invite you to join us in-person at Bulkeley High School at 300 Wethersfield Avenue, for two concurrent learning sessions. Learn about our School Governance Councils and how you can join to be a part of your child’s school governance, or learn about Dual Enrollment, or how your student can earn college credits while they’re still in high school. Dinner, served at 5:00 PM, and childcare will be provided. Register here today!
Magnet Schools Late Application is Open!
Great things are happening at Hartford Public Schools – our students are being recognized for their academic achievements and our sports teams are excelling. As your Superintendent, I will continue to share the awesome opportunity – only available to Hartford resident students who attend Harford Public Schools high schools. Each one of our 11 high schools have students who qualified for the Hartford Promise this year. If you live in the City of Hartford, attend a Hartford Public School, earn a 3.0 GPA and have a 93% attendance rate, your child is guaranteed up to a $100,000 scholarship to the college of your choice. Join us – don’t miss this opportunity! The Late Application for Hartford Magnet Schools is open for select grades and schools. To apply visit Chooseyourschool.org.
You’ve heard it before, but I’m saying it again: We’re going to ‘set the bar, meet the bar, exceed the bar, and raise the bar’ in everything we do. Working together, we are going to see Hartford rise!
Excellence in Truth and Service,
Dr. Andraé Townsel
Superintendent and CEO
Hartford Public Schools
Photo by Zen Chung: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-faceless-multiethnic-classmates-walking-together-on-sidewalk-5538004/
