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Month: April 2024
Sen. Duff, Mayor Rilling, Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz, Deputy Commissioner Hewes, Dr. Estrella and Community Leaders Complete the Groundbreaking of the First South Norwalk Neighborhood School in Over 40 Years
Sen. Duff, Mayor Rilling, Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz, Deputy Commissioner Hewes, Dr. Estrella and Community Leaders Complete the Groundbreaking of the First South Norwalk Neighborhood School in Over 40 Years
(Norwalk, Conn.) Today, April 8, 2024, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, Mayor Rilling and Dr. Estrella, Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools were joined by Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Deputy Commissioner Charles Hewes of the CT State Department of Education, Darlene Young, President of Norwalk Common Council, Rev. Roosevelt Ewell, Senior Pastor of Canaan Institutional Baptist Church of Norwalk and other state, local and community leaders to break ground on the new South Norwalk School. This school will be the South Norwalk community’s first neighborhood school in over 40 years.
The ceremony took place at 1 Meadow St. Ext., where the new neighborhood school is being constructed. It is the City’s first new school construction project under the new state reimbursement rate of 60%.
“As we break ground on the first new South Norwalk neighborhood school in over 40 years, we mark a significant milestone in Norwalk’s educational landscape,” said Senator Bob Duff. “This school, a cornerstone of our 25-year plan for Norwalk schools, signifies a renewed commitment to providing quality education to our community. With the support of a 60% reimbursement rate from the state of Connecticut, we are also able to build this school at a significant savings for local taxpayers. I extend my deepest gratitude to the passionate members of our local community who tirelessly advocated for the realization of this school. Your dedication and partnership with officials have been instrumental in making this vision a reality. I am thrilled South Norwalk will have a neighborhood school to locally access an exceptional education and a bright future.”
“The young students in South Norwalk have not had a neighborhood school in over 40 years, and not having a neighborhood school has been a tremendous hindrance to them,” said Mayor Harry Rilling. “They have to wake up in the morning, get on a bus and drive all the way across town to go to school, and their neighbor may go to a different school than them. But that is all about to change. When this school is finally completed in August 2025, up to 680 students from the community, ages PreK to 5 th grade, will be able to attend. This school will be the City’s first new construction project under our new state reimbursement rate of 60%, saving Norwalk taxpayers millions of dollars. I want to thank our State Delegation and State leaders for their commitment to education and partnership in making that reimbursement rate possible. The new 60% reimbursement rate from the State was made possible in large part thanks to the incredible leadership of Senator Duff.”
“Today’s groundbreaking and the construction of a new neighborhood school for South Norwalk students – it’s first in 40 years – will ensure our state’s most precious resources, our students, can learn and grow right in their own neighborhood,” said Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz. “This project will remove obstacles that parents and students were forced to face by having to enroll in various schools outside of their neighborhood and throughout the city. When we invest in the wellbeing of our students, teachers, and schools, the returns on our investment will be seen for generations to come.”
“The opening of the new South Norwalk School represents a wonderful opportunity for Norwalk’s children and families. It’s not just about bricks and mortar; it’s about creating a nurturing environment where every child can thrive and reach their full potential,” Connecticut State Department of Education Deputy Commissioner Charles Hewes said. “We all know the importance of education in shaping the future. By investing in this new school, Norwalk is investing in the success and well-being of generations to come. It’s a decision that speaks volumes about this city’s commitment to excellence and progress.”
In the late 1970s, South Norwalk lost its neighborhood school when the district closed Nathaniel Ely School on Ingalls Avenue to desegregate schools. Ever since, South Norwalk children have enrolled in various schools throughout the City outside of South Norwalk and have had to endure long bus rides to and from school. South Norwalk children have missed out on the benefits afforded to students that are generally provided by a neighborhood school and many South Norwalk parents have also been subject to limitations as a result of this condition. Based on the current minority student population in the City of Norwalk, children in South Norwalk are no longer required by law to attend schools outside of their community. This new neighborhood school will allow Norwalk Public Schools to provide all South Norwalk children, ages PreK to 5 th grade, with the option to attend a brand new, first-class neighborhood school once the project is complete. The building’s design will incorporate the community’s feedback, fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for students and their families and the building will have safe, effective and flexible learning spaces for students.
“In many cases, many of our families don’t have private transportation to be able to visit their school sites and engage in the community in ways that others have been able to do throughout Norwalk,” said Dr. Alexandra Estrella, Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools. “So I want that to sit in a little bit for people here, because what’s happening around us right now is going to be transformational for the families and children of Norwalk, to have a place that they can come to engage, celebrate, during the school day, but also after school see this as a place of community convening and coming together, which is critical in any community.”
“Growing up in South Norwalk, I understand the challenges of not having a neighborhood school,” said Diana Carpio, Board of Education Chair. “I am thankful for all the hard work that Norwalk Public Schools, the City of Norwalk, and the South Norwalk community has done to make this school a reality. It’s been more than 40 years, a very long time, and I’m proud to be a part of this project and seeing us all dedicate ourselves to provide the best education possible for our children.”
“We all know schools and neighborhoods create community and that’s what you need,” said Darlene Young, President of the Norwalk Common Council. “We were missing that for a very, very long time — decades.”
“I think Norwalk needs to understand how much this means to the minority community, to see the commitment of a city that cares about the people of the city, that they would invest into a school in the community that our students can be able to have less time traveling and more time being educated,” said the Rev. Roosevelt Ewell, Senior Pastor of Canaan Institutional Baptist Church of Norwalk. “This project, this movement, have come about from the hard labor of so many in the minority community.”
“If there was a school in my neighborhood, I could have walked home from school,” said Lincoln Almonte Martinez, 5th grader at Marvin Elementary School and South Norwalk resident. “Instead, I have spent 40 minutes each day for six years straight riding the bus, and while I like riding the bus because it gives me time to talk to my friends, it sometimes gets me in trouble. Kids growing up in South Norwalk will soon have a brand-new school in their neighborhood and they will attend with the lucky kids who live near them. They are the lucky ones.”
The anticipated completion of the new school is scheduled for late summer 2025 and will be ready to welcome students for the 2025-26 school year.
SENATOR MARONEY DISCUSSES DATA PRIVACY AT GLOBAL PRIVACY SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
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Sen. Lesser Welcomes Additional Funding for Elderly Nutrition Programs
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LOONEY, PAOLILLO APPLAUD COMMITTEE PASSAGE OF BILL CONCERNING TOBACCO DEALER LICENSE RENEWALS
LOONEY, PAOLILLO APPLAUD COMMITTEE PASSAGE OF BILL CONCERNING TOBACCO DEALER LICENSE RENEWALS
SB 340 would allow municipalities to adopt an ordinance requiring a person applying for tobacco dealer license renewals to inform and allow comments on the application
Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney and State Representative Al Paolillo (D-New Haven) are applauding the Public Safety Committee for passing Senate Bill 340 out of committee recently. It will now be considered by the full House and Senate in the coming weeks.
Senate Bill 340, “An Act Concerning Tobacco Dealer License Renewals” passed unanimously out of the Public Safety Committee. The bill would permit municipalities to adopt an ordinance requiring a person applying for renewal of a tobacco dealer’s license to inform the chief law enforcement official, or such official’s designee, of the application. It would permit such chief or designee to submit comments regarding the application and require the Commissioner of Revenue Services to consider such comments before approving such an application.
“The legislation would deter tobacco license violations, illegal activity, and violence in and around establishments that sell tobacco,” said Senator Looney. “I would support adding a provision that allows residents to object to tobacco license renewals in their communities which would empower community members to raise public health and quality of life concerns.”
“The bill involves stricter enforcement and more municipal police involvement when it comes to approvals of tobacco permit license renewals. Especially for businesses who have consistent non-compliance issues such as selling to minors and other illegal activities that negatively impact our community,” said Rep. Paolillo, who is a member of the Public Safety Committee and served as an introducer on the bill. “I thank Senator Looney for his support on this issue and members of the New Haven community for submitting testimony or testifying in person on this bill. I look forward to the next steps as the bill makes its way through the legislative process.”
“This legislation will allow us to maintain our responsibility to the community to uphold law and order and provide safer and healthier communities by holding those establishments that habitually violate state statutes accountable,” said New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson. “The responsibility of review of liquor permits through my office, has been an efficient tool of managing problem establishments that sell liquor. I believe this legislation will be one additional tool that we can use to manage problem establishments.”
“The broad range of New Haveners who provided oral and written testimony -including more than twenty City of New Haven health, safety, and economic development officials; education leaders; health advocates and researchers; small businesses; community activists; and members of the Board of Alders — speaks to the broad support for protecting our neighborhoods and especially our kids from underage tobacco sales and other illegal activities in and around some tobacco dealers, including some corner stores and smoke shops,” said New Haven Alderman Sarah Miller. “Reliance on state enforcement findings alone misses the opportunity to fully utilize the knowledge of local law enforcement and residents. I am so grateful to Representative Paolillo and Senator Looney for working to enhance tobacco dealers’ accountability to our communities.”
In his testimony before the Public Safety Committee, Mayor Justin Elicker concluded, “The passage of this legislation is not just a matter of regulatory reform; it is an important step towards prioritizing the health, safety, and future of our communities. Let us seize this opportunity to enact meaningful change and protect the well-being of all Connecticut residents.”
Senator Duff, Mayor Rilling, Governor Lamont, Commissioner Gilman and Norwalk Public Schools Celebrated the Groundbreaking of the New School Construction for Norwalk High School and P-TECH Norwalk
Senator Duff, Mayor Rilling, Governor Lamont, Commissioner Gilman and Norwalk Public Schools Celebrated the Groundbreaking of the New School Construction for Norwalk High School and P-TECH Norwalk
(Norwalk, Conn.) Today, April 1, 2024, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) joined Mayor Rilling, Norwalk Public Schools, Governor Ned Lamont, Michelle Gilman, Commissioner of the CT State Department of Administrative Services (DAS) and other state, local and school leaders to celebrate the official groundbreaking for the Norwalk High School and P-TECH Norwalk building.
The City of Norwalk is receiving an unprecedented 80% reimbursement rate from the State, saving local taxpayers $138 million. The reimbursement rate was primarily made possible thanks to Senator Duff’s advocacy and hard work.
Norwalk High School and the P-TECH building are projected to be move-in ready by the fall of 2027, with all site work completed by the fall of 2028. The construction project will include the two schools, the P-TECH program and the comprehensive Norwalk High School, with a total enrollment of 2,000 students.
“It would be easy to keep the status quo,” said Senator Bob Duff, Senate Majority Leader. “We have great teachers, administrators and staff who persevere and demand excellence despite the challenges of a 1971 learning facility. We have awesome students who work hard and succeed despite leaks, cold and hot rooms, unusable courtyards, a library that is so functionally out of date that some of the middle schools are better equipped and a cafeteria that can’t keep up with the student population. Let alone the security challenges that I won’t go into. There’s a pool with air quality problems, locker rooms that are not ADA compliant and bathrooms on all floors with plumbing encased in concrete, making it virtually impossible to repair or update. If we were not here today at this groundbreaking, the City of Norwalk and the State of Connecticut would need to invest $20 million dollars at a minimum to maintain the status quo. That would still leave us with a third-rate auditorium, a gymnasium with mold and termite damage, classrooms without elevator access and a substandard physical plant. The worst part – after tens of millions of dollars, the money invested would be invisible. Barely any of the work would be noticed. That’s why it’s time for a new school.”
“To fulfill our mission of continuing to provide an excellent and equitable education for all students, it’s imperative that we create a learning environment conducive to 21st-century demands,” said Mayor Rilling. “This new state-of-the-art learning environment would not be possible without the unprecedented 80% reimbursement rate from the State, thanks in large part to the incredible leadership of Senator Duff. This extraordinary reimbursement rate will save taxpayers millions upon millions of dollars while making sure our students and future generations are best equipped for the future.”
“Education is our secret sauce,” said Governor Ned Lamont. “Connecticut has the best and most productive workforce in the world. The skills you need going forward are much more sophisticated in order to manage a lot of computerization and manufacturing across all different industry sectors. Our investments in these new schools show that we really care about our students and are invested in their education and their futures.”
“It’s a really phenomenal process and partnership that the DAS team and the community has working together, especially when you look at the end product and the result of a beautiful new school that will meet the needs of the students, the faculty and the community because we know that our schools are parts of our community, they’re community centers,” said Michelle Gilman, Commissioner of the CT State Department of Administrative Services. “So being able to be a part of that in our small way up at the State and then working with the Governor, the Department of Education and our other partners, looking at the opportunities that our school systems have created and the importance of them to pathways and various careers.”
The current building, completed in 1971, lacks the infrastructure required to meet modern educational standards. The existing building is a pour-in-place concrete structure. The exposed waffle slab and concrete columns present significant challenges for necessary repairs and utility upgrades and impede wireless signal transmission, disrupting the educational process and compromising safety and security measures.
Many of the bathrooms are outdated and need major repairs. The libraries are also antiquated and not usable as multi-use spaces, with no quiet rooms or conference spaces for students. Several facilities within the schools, including the second floor of the library, also need to become ADA-compliant and accessible to people with mobility challenges.
“When I look back at the tour that Sen. Duff gave us some time ago about all the things that were wrong and needed to be fixed at the school, there was a laundry list of things,” said Darlene Young, Common Council President for the City of Norwalk. “I’m so proud that we are moving forward with a new school on behalf of our students and future generations.”
A new high school and P-TECH building will be equipped with updated infrastructure and technology that will not only support educational advancements but will also help ensure NPS adequately prepares students to thrive in an ever-evolving world and graduate future-ready.
“We have to ensure that we have facilities equipped to provide experiences that prepare scholars for the future and in order for us to do that we need more projects like the one seen here today,” said Dr. Alexandra Estrella, Superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools.
“Although we may not be here to completely enjoy it, I am eager to see the direction the school will be taken in,” said Christian Pierre, senior at Norwalk High School. “Personally, I am most excited for the new music department. From experience, we’ve practiced everywhere from remote parts of the school to the cafeteria to the gym, which hasn’t been, it’s been a struggle.”
During Mayor Rilling’s Administration, the City has prioritized the first major school construction projects in decades. In 2023, the City of Norwalk welcomed students to a brand-new, state-of-the-art Cranbury Elementary School, the City’s first new school in over 50 years. Later this month, the City and NPS will also break ground on the South Norwalk School, which will be the community’s first neighborhood school in over 40 years and is projected to open in the fall of 2025. In 2022, the City and NPS welcomed students to the completely renovated Jefferson Marine Science Elementary School and in 2020, they welcomed students to a newly renovated Ponus Ridge School campus, which included renovations of an existing middle school and the construction of an elementary school.