The city is pushing forward with plans for a regional science magnet school, the first of its kind in the state, costing some $126 million. The state will pay 95 percent of construction costs. The city needs a new Harding High. In lieu of that this school takes pressure off of Harding. Roughly 1,000 of the 1,500 students will be from Bridgeport.
Not everyone thinks the school is a great idea. Here’s a different take on the school from Zack Janowski, scribe for Raising Hale, www.raisinghale.com, a media project of the Yankee Institute for Public Policy that promotes smaller government. Writes Zack: “The General Assembly did pass a bill that annexed part of Trumbull to Bridgeport so the city could build the most expensive school the state has ever seen. Did I mention Bridgeport will pay only $7 million of the $126 million costs. Taxpayers from Litchfield to New London will pay the rest–and interest–over the next 20 years. And you guessed it, the school has solar panels, wind turbines and underground parking.”
Here’s Zach’s recent take on the school development from a smaller government perspective.
Update your GPS. Bridgeport just got bigger.
Forty-eight acres formerly in Trumbull are now in Bridgeport.
Gov. Dannel Malloy signed Senate Bill 1238, a special act changing the municipal-boundary line between Bridgeport and Trumbull, Saturday after the General Assembly passed it unanimously.
The state made the boundary change because Bridgeport and Trumbull could not come to an agreement that would allow the city to build a magnet school across the border in Trumbull. Bridgeport’s plan had languished for months with the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission–after taking several months to get needed wetland approvals.
Bridgeport and Trumbull officials, plus their representatives in Hartford, supported the boundary change.
Rep. T. R. Rowe, R-Trumbull, said he supported the boundary change, but the General Assembly’s unanimous vote “was not a referendum” on the school. He said the expected cost of the school, $126 million, “certainly gives one pause.”
“The Governor’s Office indicated that the school was going to be built, period,” Rowe said. “The state had plenty of arrows in their quiver to make sure it got built with or without Trumbull’s blessing.”
As part of the legislation, Trumbull will also have the opportunity to negotiate for the purchase of about 20 acres of state-owned land within its borders that is currently leased by Bridgeport.
Negotiations between Bridgeport and Trumbull were hung up on who would respond to the school in an emergency. It was also uncertain whether the Trumbull Planning and Zoning Commission would have approved the application, and if it did, with what conditions.
The Fairchild-Wheeler Multi-Magnet High School will have an environmental theme and capacity to serve 1,500 students. On paper the school–at $126 million–is already the most expensive in state history by at least $10 million. The school’s design includes $1 million of solar panels on the roof, wind turbines and underground parking.
The site, a park that has suffered from inattention, is not an ideal location, which necessitated the underground parking and added to the expected costs.
The city has no incentive to keep the costs down because the state reimburses magnet-school expenses at 95%. Bridgeport will pay only $7 million for the school, while taxpayers across the state will pay $118 million, plus 20 years of interest payments.
Malloy’s budget proposal recognized the flaws in the reimbursement formula and reduces the state’s share to 80 percent. This and other reforms, including limits on what costs the state will reimburse, will take effect for projects not begun by April 1, 2012.
Thus the hurry to get the school approved.
Even after it is built, the school will be a boon to Bridgeport. About 1,050 city students will attend a brand new school, making space in existing schools, at close to no cost and the state will subsidize each of those students at $3,000, or more than $3 million a year.
Six nearby towns–Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford and Trumbull–will split the 450 remaining seats at the new school. For each of those students, Bridgeport gets $6,730 from the state, totaling another $3 million.
Meanwhile, Bridgeport will still receive its full Education Cost Sharing grant. The state won’t deduct money from the grants to suburban districts either, even though they are educating fewer students.
“Dollar Bill” put together a rather neat package prior to election day. Finch will do anything to get his name on a building dedication plaque. I understand how all of the construction costs will be defrayed statewide, but will someone tell me who the hell is going to cover the yearly maintenance expenses of running this great institute of learning? Before we publicize the groundbreaking we had better know all it is going cost BPT in the future. Let’s face it, honesty is a very rare commodity in our fair city.
I went to the public meeting held last night by the B & A committee. This was a chance for the public to have input in the process.
There were a couple of things that bothered me about this meeting. First off, 5 of the 6 budget committee members were present, there is 1 member of this committee who has attended a grand total of 1 meeting during this whole process. There were 4 other council members in attendance. What does all this mean? It means there are 11 other council members who are going to vote for this budget who have never attended a budget hearing this year and basically have no idea what they will be voting for. How’s that for giving a shit?
Last night, citizens of Bridgeport expressed their hopes and desires for what they felt was important. The majority of people were talking about education and how important it was for their children. What bothered me a lot was I knew their from-the-heart words did not mean a damn thing to this committee. These speakers did not know the committee had this meeting because they had to.
The committee sat there like bumps on a log and did not respond to 1 speaker or their comments, that’s bullshit pure and simple. This is another example why most if not all of these people need to be replaced.
To all the citizens who spoke from the heart, I say thank you and don’t give up. Get active in this upcoming election. There are good candidates out there, listen to them, make a choice and let’s vote in a whole new administration. Let’s vote in people who give a damn about you and your kids.
I’m not angered by this sort of indifference on the part of the City Council members present, nor am I really surprised. I am disappointed they would be so apathetic to the process. This is an election year. A few of their seats may well be up for grabs if either Foster or Gomes wins the September primary.
There are a lot of complaints about the proposed Magnet School. I don’t understand how anyone can complain on doing something to improve the quality of education in this city. A well-educated populace is an important factor when anyone considers an investment in economic development.
I can’t remember what OIBer said this but it stuck in my craw … “POVERTY IS CONQUERED BY THE RAPIER OF EDUCATION.”
Well said, sir.
I agree.
yahooy, with all due respect look at the track record of the Board of Education. The dropout rate is off the charts & the kids who graduate need a supervisor to tell them how to make change at Burger King! We are like an expectant mother who hopes if she has enough kids one of them might be a success. The caliber of our youth is the BOE’s nightmare, they are getting paid to graduate students who should be held back for their own good. But we are like a puppy mill that processes a product regardless of it’s quality. This is not going to bite us in the ass in the future, it’s biting us in the ass now. Let me say this in advance of the onslaught of criticism I am about to receive. I know we produce some talented kids, but there should be many more. The BOE should all resign if they truly cared about education. I say my opinions without malice but as constructive criticism.
You would never succeed in the real world with a failure rate like this. In closing I would like to say I am in favor of this school and all its lofty goals for education. I do pray they are realized for their futures and ours.
A few weeks ago I said something to the effect that Bridgeport’s school system does nothing more than create a permanent criminal underclass. I was taken to task for it but I didn’t back down from my earlier statement and I won’t now.
I will qualify what I said. There are a few students that, against the odds of poverty, lawlessness, negative peer pressure, are driven to succeed academically. And they go on to a four-year school. The vast majority, however, are being pushed out if they haven’t already dropped out, unleashed on the world unable to read and write to more than a third- or fourth-grade level, with only the most basic understanding of the maths, incapable of abstract and reasoned thought. With a set of skills like that the employment opportunities are limited, at best. Criminality is a greater temptation. Gangs offer a sense of community, in addition to income from selling drugs, robbery, etc. Even if a kid like that could get a job at McDonald’s or Wendy’s or a pizza joint at Trumbull Mall he is not going to earn the same kind of money. And money is the root of ALL evil.