How long has the high profile Connecticut desegregation case Sheff v. O'Neill been litigated? When it was filed in 1989, plaintiff Milo Sheff was 10 years old. He turned 43 on Thursday, when a settlement was given preliminary approval by a judge in Hartford.
The plaintiffs were Hartford public school students seeking high quality educational opportunities afforded to others. While some progress has been made since the state Supreme Court ruled against the state in 1996, Connecticut will now make a more extensive effort to expand school choice.
What changed after years of rigorous negotiations? "For the first time we have a plan and for the first time we have a commitment to meet demand," says plaintiffs' attorney Martha Stone of the Center for Children's Advocacy, "and, for the first time we have funding to meet that demand, and for the first time we have some accountability and sustainability measures that we never had before."
The state will widen access to magnet schools and Open Choice seats at suburban schools for interested Hartford families, hoping to satisfy all demand by the 2028-29 school year. It will add about 2,700 choice seats.
"What (the deal) does is expand existing magnet schools, opens some new magnet schools," said state Attorney General William Tong, "expands Open Choice access and enhances athletics and extra-curricular activities at existing magnet schools."
New projects include a Goodwin University technical high school magnet, "retheming and expansion" of Two Rivers and Civic Leadership magnets to focus on computer programming and coding (partnering with Amazon and Microsoft), a dual language magnet at the Dwight-Bellizzi School and the expansion of pre-K programs in existing magnet schools.
In the deal, the state makes a significant investment towards reaching those goals. By 2032, Connecticut will be spending $32 million per year.
Having earned preliminary approval Thursday from Hartford Superior Court Judge Marshall Berger, the deal will be considered by state lawmakers, who reconvene next month.
