From Mayor Bill Finch:
Mayor Bill Finch and Supt. Paul G. Vallas together with Governor Malloy will celebrate the opening of the first new high school built in Bridgeport in 50 years on Monday, Aug. 19 at 2 p.m.
The Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Magnet Campus is set to welcome its first two classes of students at the end of August. The new school features an advanced science-technology focus and has been built to exacting standards which should net it the LEED Gold designation from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Mayor Finch has championed the building of this school, which originally was slated to be built on parkland in Trumbull. After months of negotiations, Mayor Finch was able to work with the State Legislature and Governor Malloy to come to an historic agreement to redraw the city boundaries to move the property into Bridgeport and move the project forward.
The new $126 million state-of-the-art school–the largest and most ambitious school infrastructure project in Connecticut history–is the most environmentally friendly school in the state. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified the building will get close to 120kW of power from 10 wind turbines and solar panels. It has a green roof design and its construction includes eco-friendly building materials with energy-efficient mechanical systems. The completed landscaping will use native vegetation and 76% of the site will be maintained as open space.
This hi-tech school, which in itself will be a teaching and learning tool for students and staff, will offer a 21st century STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) project-based curriculum focusing on three areas: Information Technology, Biotechnology/Zoological science and Physical Science, Math and Aerospace/Hydrospace The school’s focus on Information Technology, Biotechnology/Zoological Science, and Physical Science, Math, and Aerospace/Hydrospace Engineering demonstrates a commitment to preparing students for the future, which is a cause that the Google’s Director of STEM Education Strategy, Kamau Bobb has passionately championed.
Partnerships with the three area universities will provide significant opportunities for students to acquire college credits. Seven hundred fifty (750) students in grades 9-10 will attend the school when it opens this fall. Seventy percent (70%) of the students will come from Bridgeport and the other 30% will come from the surrounding communities of Trumbull, Fairfield, Shelton, Stratford, Easton/Redding, Monroe and Milford.
That new high school is nearby. I have disturbing visions of tech-savvy students invading my backyard on their way home from school.
But that’s fine with me–anything in the name of progress.
My God, a lot of towns are sacrificing and suffering teacher layoffs and closed school programs and Malloy builds a 126 MILLION DOLLAR SCHOOL in a district with a >70% dropout rate.
It’s a regional high school that brings together students from all walks of life. What’s wrong with that? A great new asset.
anna, how many parents from the surrounding towns are going to send their kids into Bridgeport to go to school, you think you will get that 30% figure?
(spoken with a thick Russian accent)
In my COWNtry such a person like JMart would be sent to Siberian work camp to improve his outlook. He misunderstands his own COWNtry. In America, they put the asset where the trouble is in hope to improve things. In my COWNtry they put the school in a pasture where only sheep can attend. Now you know why Putin wears no shirt. My COWNtry has no wool!
JMart, maybe only the parents who use our other services i.e., hospitals, libraries etc. and I’m okay with that. For every seat they don’t take, one opens up for a Bridgeport child.
I hope every student makes good use of this school, and it’s not just another dropout factory.
Quite a few, actually. Especially those who are trading a private school tuition at Notre Dame, Kolbe, FP or Laurelton for a free public education at a brand-new science-focused high school. More than 200-225 of the 750 are from the ‘burbs.
I really think it’s time we started to examine the cost benefit of all of the BOE capital building projects, specifically who the players are who are involved in the negotiations. There are some so-called political operatives who have no business being involved in these contracts. Maybe this Ricci fiasco will give us an opportunity to delve deeply into how the procurement practices are applied to all of this school building. Yes Virginia, I believe education is the only way to pull people out of poverty and I’m all for building schools all over the place. I am not in favor of these costly projects recklessly administered by the wink and tickle mentality our City Hall seems to like to do things.
*** Even though New Haven and their longtime Mayor are ten years ahead of Bpt in building new schools, I applaud this city’s Schools Building Committee, the State and Gov. Malloy, as well as the Finch Admin and all involved on what looks and sounds like will be (very soon) a top-notch High School in CT. Let’s hope they meet the 30% cap requirement by outside students from surrounding towns, Fairfield, Trumbull, Stratford, etc. as well as the 70% Bpt student body. It’s been well needed and overdue for a very long time to give kids other choices and technical skills in areas that are new and up and coming all over the world besides just Bullard Havens Tech School that’s filled to the rafters! Hopefully in time, this school will be well worth the taxpayers’ money spent, no? *** UP ON EDUCATION ***