A little free library the size of a mailbox stationed outside of Black Rock School in Bridgeport, may be the only daily opportunity a student has to check out books, according to Ashley Hyde, whose daughter attends the school.
“There's no school librarian in any Bridgeport public school,” Hyde said.
Bridgeport eliminated librarian positions in 2025 as a result of budget cuts, which the city’s school district partly blamed on inadequate state funding. Bridgeport’s Interim Superintendent Royce Avery said the district has strengthened its partnership with city libraries to make up for the lack of service.
Hyde left some books behind at the little free library, which was donated to the school by parents a few years ago.
But parents like Hyde say they’re planning to lobby for state action to mandate staffing ratios for librarians to prevent layoffs in other districts.
Hyde works in marketing at the Westport Library located just a few miles away. She routinely delivers out of circulation books to the little free library in Bridgeport. Hyde said the school library doesn’t have regular service hours.
As a result, teachers sometimes take their students to the library so they can have access to books, according to Hyde, who’s also a member of the school’s Parent Teacher Association.
“You might get a teacher too that might take that upon themselves to go down to the library and pick up a few books and bring them back to their classroom or, or maybe take their kids on a library walking tour, “ Hyde said.
Having a school librarian helps with literacy rates and civics, according to Hyde. A 2006 research paper from Fairfield University supports Hyde’s observation. The paper showed school libraries helped students become better learners, and improved literacy rates.
Bridgeport’s schools have struggled with poor academic results, including literacy rates, although some of the schools have seen academic improvement in 2025.
Avery said the district has worked out a partnership with the city’s public library system. The partnership hosts early literacy programs for students and allows students to sign up for library cards.
“We also are working hand in hand with the City of Bridgeport and the Librarian Division with the City of Bridgeport, really figuring out how do we take kids to the public libraries to do more things,” Avery said.
The layoffs last year happened, as the city struggled to fund its schools, and ended up adopting a lower-than-expected education budget, according to previous reporting from Connecticut Public. Bridgeport historically has had lower property values and higher poverty levels compared to other municipalities, which has led to chronic funding challenges.
The state has assisted with school funding under what is known as the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula. It judges how much a city or town like Bridgeport ends up getting from the state’s budget.
Many, including Avery, have complained the state’s funding hasn’t kept up to date with inflation.
“We're going to have this community involved with how we change that ECS formula,” Avery said.
Hyde and other advocates, like Valerie DiLorenzo, president of the CT Association of School Librarians, are now working to help mandate staffing changes so other districts don’t face the same challenges.
Stamford cut many librarian positions in 2023, according to the Stamford Advocate.
Stratford also eliminated many of its school librarian positions in 2024 due to budget cuts, replacing them with technology integration specialists according to Town Council Chair, Anthony Afriye.
Unlike Bridgeport, Stratford students still have daily access to their libraries. Afriye framed it as a positive development.
“Not only are we reimagining these positions, but we’re adding this digital age onto it, so I think a lot of people are excited that we’re being innovative, and we’re adapting at the same time,” Afriye said.
DiLorenzo says there’s another reason why Bridgeport and other districts ended up getting rid of its librarians.
“There’s no law that requires school librarians to be in the schools,” DiLorenzo said. “It’s a position that can be cut.”
The Connecticut State Department of Education confirmed there is no current state law mandating librarian staff in public schools. DiLorenzo and Hyde say they’re planning on lobbying state officials for some kind of state law to change that.
“What we would like to do, and we’re working on trying to put this together now, is what we call it, a school librarian ratio bill,” DiLorenzo said.
Erin Buckley was once a school librarian at Black Rock School, where she is now a substitute teacher.
Buckley said while librarians help with literacy rates, they also provide a safe space for students.
“It's a reprieve,” Buckley said. “There were a number of kids that were going through some tough situations. And they would figure out my schedule when I would either have breaks or lunch, and they would come in and talk to me.”
Bridgeport also faces slightly higher absenteeism rates compared to the state average, which has been linked to poverty, housing instability and other issues.
Buckley said some of the students ended up confiding in her, and she would end up helping when she could, referring more immediate issues to other staff.
“I would give them a book and say, ‘oh, you know what? Well, maybe this book will help take things off your mind, or maybe this book will help you with what you're dealing with right now,” Buckley said.
