Nearly 400 people are boarding buses in Danbury bound for Hartford on Wednesday. They are urging lawmakers to approve funding for the Danbury International Academy Charter School.
“We need more options, we need better choices and we need our leadership to lead,” said Richard Bolden, of Danbury, who is fighting for his daughter Mia. “This is about helping children not about pushing agendas or propaganda. As a parent here, I think that the leadership can do better at seeing both educational options here in Danbury through and not having to choose one or the other.”
The school management team went through a rigorous process in 2017 just to get the charter approved by the Connecticut Department of Education. But a 2015 law, creating a two-step process by which legislators need to sign off on funding, has left Danbury Charter School stuck without its funding for six years.
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Parents have said they want their children to have access to the international curriculum the charter school is offering, an International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. It will provide smaller class sizes, have bilingual instruction, and will prepare their children for college.
Having that bilingual instruction is important to parents like Miriam Espin, who felt like her daughter Luciana was left behind when she first entered Danbury Public Schools and only knew Spanish.
“She couldn’t even communicate, or [say] I need something because the teacher said no Spanish at all,” said Espin.
“We want something better for our kids and when that is blocked, what else do you have? What is your hope here in America if you came here for that,” said Maria Matos, the vice president and CEO of Latinos for Educational Advocacy and Diversity, also known as LEAD.
Danbury Charter School officials said this is about more choices for families.
“We're adding additional school choice options outside of this idea of a large environment where some kids get swallowed up. And some kids just can't be the best version of themselves in an environment like that,” said John Taylor, the CEO of Elevate Charter Schools, the charter school management company. Taylor was referring to Danbury’s high school with 3,603 students.
Now six years in with no approval from state legislators, the parents and school advocates have said it is starting to feel intentional. In Danbury Public Schools, 64 percent of the students are Hispanic or Latino.
“Folk telling Black and Brown people, and that's a real thing, that they know more about what they need for their children than the families themselves is interesting. It raises a lot of questions about equity that needs to be answered. And on occasion, you have to call those things out. That's not to say, people are doing so intentionally from that lens, but the impact is still the same,” said Taylor.
The Danbury Charter School has support from Republican lawmakers, but not Democrats.
State Senator Julie Kushner, a Democrat who represents Danbury and member of the Appropriations Committee, opposed the charter school in the past. When pressed for comment she said:
“I’ve secured tens of millions of dollars in additional state aid for the Danbury Public Schools, and I will continue to advocate for educational opportunities for all students.”
Kushner secured the funding for a new career academy in Danbury that will serve 1,400 students. Instead of focusing on career training, the charter school’s curriculum will focus on preparing students for the rigors of college, according to Taylor.
The union representing teachers in Danbury, the Connecticut Education Association, also opposed the charter school.
“I'm sympathetic to all of these families. I wish they went to Board of Ed meetings with the same ferocity that they will fight for this charter. I wish they were fighting for all the public schools that way because I get where they're coming from. They want the best for their children and I want the best for their children. I think we just have a little disagreement about where that energy could be focused,” said Kate Dias, the president of the CEA.
Dias said the Danbury Public Schools have been chronically underfunded for years because of decisions city leaders have made on how to spend state funding. Danbury spends $16,742 per student, the lowest of 169 districts, according to Dias. The focus should be on correcting that, Dias said, so the full student body can benefit versus 6 percent of the population who attends the charter school.
“There's not infinite resources. We really do need to step in and step up and support the system we have. Honestly, the fastest way to meet the students’ needs is to contribute and uplift the system you currently have,” Dias said.
But the loss to Danbury School District will not be as significant as initially projected, according to Representative Rachel Chaleski, (R) of Danbury. Rep. Chaleski introduced the bill this session in favor of funding the charter school.
Under the new ECS formula, if Danbury’s enrollment were to decline after FY26, when full ECS funding is reached, Danbury would not see a decrease in ECS funding because Alliance Districts’ ECS grants do not decrease (held harmless).
If the Charter School opens, assuming there is no new public school enrollment, Danbury’s fully funded projected ECS grant increase in FY26 would be about $540,000 less than if the charter school isn’t funded in the budget adjustment bill.
If lawmakers approve the funding, the charter school can open its doors this August and start with one cohort of 6th graders and build over the years up to 770 students.
“We are so prepared to get the school off the ground. We have the facility locked up right now. It's in the midst of being renovated. Today, our two finalists for the school leadership, the principal position, are being interviewed by the board. We really can have the school up and open as soon as this August, if we can get the funding,” said Taylor.
Also in this fight is Capital Prep Charter School in Middletown. The Department of Education approved the school in March 2023, but it, too, was left out of the state budget last year.
Members of the Danbury school board, Rep. Bob Godfrey and Representative Raghib Allie-Brennan have not returned our request for comment.
Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves released a statement on Wednesday:
"Public education has always been one of my top priorities. My Administration is focused on responsibly addressing our public school system's challenges and working collaboratively to address all our students’ needs," Alves said.
Other lawmakers commented:
“Danbury’s charter was approved in 2018 along with Norwalk's after the same rigorous process that all other large cities have opened their charters. In the current biennium budget, Norwalk will receive $2.4 million for its second charter school and New Haven will receive about $1.2 million for its seventh charter school. Danbury remains the only large city in Connecticut without a charter school and home to the largest high school in the state, with a student population of nearly 4,000 that is expected to continue to grow. Our families have come before the legislature year after year to advocate for this option and for the opportunity to choose what is best for their children. Charters have been part of the state's educational landscape for decades with the goal of raising student achievement in the lowest performing districts. They are held to higher accountability in exchange for autonomy to achieve that goal. The Danbury Public Schools would not lose money with the addition of the charter school, and all students benefit from this option in its ripple effect,” said Chaleski.
“Advocates for the Danbury Charter School have been coming before legislators asking us to fund this school, which was approved back in 2018, and are still waiting for action. I support giving our Danbury families this choice. One-size does not fit all, and not all students can thrive and succeed in a school as large as Danbury High School,” said Representative Patrick Callahan, (R) Danbury.
“As a father to a student in Danbury Public Schools and a legislator, my top priority is to ensure that every child is able to receive an exceptional public education. I am deeply committed to strengthening our public education system and take great pride in securing significant funding for public education in Danbury, which I will continue to do,” said Representative Farley Santos, (D) Danbury.
The rally at the Capitol is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
