Prospect Charter could help Danbury schools
I’m both a parent and a city councilman, so I worry every day about how to best improve our city. While Danbury may be the most successful city in Connecticut, we are still finding ways to make the city even better. One of these ways is by bringing a worldclass option like Danbury Prospect School.
This school has a track record of being one of the best schools in New York. This will ensure we have great opportunities and outcomes for our students and for generations to come.
That’s why I immediately requested a meeting with Danbury Prospect Charter School upon receiving a mailer asking for support of their school. For those who haven’t seen it, the mailer presented Danbury Prospect as a viable solution to our schools. Based on our discussion, I’m confident that Danbury Prospect would be a vital component of a comprehensive plan to improve the educational needs of the city of Danbury.
The money this school would get comes directly from the state, rather than from Danbury residents. If reallocated, that money can be used to implement advanced technology in our classroom, offer more courses, hire more teachers, hire more guidance counselors, improve the services for students learning English or offer more school sports. We could free up millions of dollars that can go directly into the Danbury Public School System.
These additional funds will avoid massive tax increases and keep our city increasingly attractive to new businesses and allow for continued economic growth.
Danbury Prospect is ready to open in September of 2020 with 110 6th grade students; after that, the school would grow by a grade of 110 students each year until grade 12. The school will relieve the pressure of surplus students into the system.
Overall, opening Danbury Prospect would mean DPS has fewer students and more money.
Furthermore, an entire school’s worth of new teachers will lower class size across the district, so students can get more individualized instruction. As Danbury continues to grow, a onesizefitsall education solution makes less and less sense. This is especially important for English language learners, who are rapidly moving to Danbury. I believe in options for our parents, students, and staff.
As an immigrant, I understand the special needs of newcomers to Danbury. Diversifying our schools will support our diversifying student body.
By finding a creative and costeffective solution to meet the surplus of students, Danbury has the ability to spend the money saved on our infrastructure needs. This way we can have better schools and also expand the transportation capacity of the city. This must be the way we go about avoiding the mistakes of the other major cities in Connecticut which continuously raised taxes until their economy failed, companies and businesses left and eventually, even families moved out. Let’s avoid repeating those mistakes and let’s look at a sound economic plan that absorbs our new student enrollment, invests in important infrastructure projects and allows our city to continue to grow!
I call on our representatives to go past political interests and find it in their hearts to do what’s best for our city. We can accomplish a great educational system and improved infrastructure all while keeping our taxes low!