Hundreds of parents and advocates rallied at the state capitol Wednesday demanding funding for a charter school in Danbury.
The school received an initial approval in 2017 but lawmakers have not approved funding –- the second in a two-step process first enacted in 2015 -- leaving the school in limbo.
“So it’s like our voice have not been heard or it looks like some people don’t want to hear my voice as a parent,” said July Miliano, a Danbury parent and organizer with Latinos for Education Advocacy and Diversity.
Parents at the rally said the school would help address problems with Danbury’s schools, including overcrowded classrooms and a lack of resources.
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The district is predominantly Latino, and families say the school districts’ woes have especially hurt those students.
“We have seen drop out of the Latino population, our kids are not at the reading level,” Miliano said.
Rep. Rachel Chaleski (R-Danbury) has been pushing for the funding. Money was even included in early budget talks last year, only to be cut during negotiations.
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“There's no reason why Danbury can’t have what other children are benefitting from,” Chaleski said.
There are 30 charter schools around Connecticut, but none in Danbury. No new charter schools have opened since the 2015 change to the process.
Not everyone agrees the charter school is the solution, though.
Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves said the city’s public schools are his priority.
“My administration is focused on responsibly addressing our public school system's challenges and working collaboratively to address all our students’ needs,” Alves said in a statement.
The Connecticut Education Association, which represents Danbury’s teachers, said the charter school would pull resources to help 770 of the city’s 12,000 students.
It would not produce savings elsewhere, the CEA claims, because that’s 6% of the student population pulled from across the city. President Kate Dias doesn’t think it will result in a reduced need for teachers or other resources at existing schools.
“Our mentality is you don’t starve one school system to start and feed another,” Dias said. Meanwhile, Sen. Julie Kushner (D-Danbury) noted the state has funded a career academy in Danubry that will serve 1,400 students.
Other lawmakers, including the Democratic chairpersons of the Education and Appropriations Committees, did not comment in response to the rally.
