Hartford, CT – On 18th of March, the Connecticut State Department of Education will hold a local hearing on the proposal for the Capital Prep Harbor charter school in Bridgeport – a program based on a highly successful Hartford magnet school that boasts a 97 percent high school graduation rate and reports that 100 percent of its graduates were accepted into four-year colleges.
Capital Prep Harbor’s model is “distinguished by the purposeful exchange of love through high expectations, early college exposure and a pervasive sense of individual and collective responsibility.” The school would open next school year with grades 6 through 12 and 250 students, then add additional grades downward, until it becomes a full PreK-12 with 765 students by year five of the charter.
At a time when one out of three students does not finish high school in four years, parent demand for public charter schools in Bridgeport remains sky high. There are more than 1,100 names of children on charter school waiting lists in the city. Despite this overwhelming demand, the Bridgeport Board of Education recently passed a symbolic resolution calling for a moratorium on new charters in the city.
Northeast Charter Schools Network Connecticut State Director Jeremiah Grace said the following about the proposal:
“Bridgeport parents face an educational crisis that threatens their children’s future. Everyone wants the district’s schools to improve quickly, but most Bridgeport families don’t have the privilege of waiting for those improvements to reach their children. High-quality choices can help now, and Capital Prep Harbor is ready to go.”
“Capital Prep Harbor is a proven model that can change the life trajectory for hundreds of Bridgeport kids, and they can start months—not years—from now.
Capital Prep Harbor Founder Dr. Steve Perry said:
“We still live in a country where your ZIP code largely determines whether you can go to a great school and have a chance in life. That’s unacceptable.
“Parents don’t have time for the waiting game and are demanding more public school options.
“We’ve already shown how our model can change the lives of Hartford kids and get more on the path to college and careers. Our team is ready to do the same in Bridgeport starting this fall.”
Facts about Connecticut charter schools:
- Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that admit students via a blind lottery. They accept all students regardless of their academic ability.
- They are managed by non-profits and subject to government oversight. Charter schools must perform to stay open.
- State charter schools do not take funding away from the local school district in any way, shape or form. When a student attends a state charter school, the local school district actually keeps the state funding for that student, and the charter receives a separate grant from the state. C.G.S.A. § 10-66ee.
- Districts are eligible for reimbursement from the state for transportation and special education services provided to charter school students.
About the Northeast Charter Schools Network
The Northeast Charter Schools Network is a regional advocacy organization for the more than 200 charter schools in New York and Connecticut. Its mission is to support and expand high-quality charter schools in the region so that all students can receive a great public education.
834 Asylum Avenue,
Hartford, CT 06105
http://necharters.org
