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Expansion Begins at Common Ground

Credit Common Ground High School
Plans to expand at Common Ground High School include two science labs, an art studio, and a community gathering and performance space.

Students, administrators and elected officials gathered at the Common Ground High School in New Haven Tuesday to break ground on a new, state-of-the-art facility. Joel Tolman, the charter school's director of development and community engagement, said the new building will house science, art, performance, and athletic spaces. It will also model sustainability with a solar array, geothermal system, and other materials aimed at reducing climate change. 

Common Ground is the nation’s oldest environmental charter high school, serving 180 students. The new building will allow Common Ground to expand to 225 students and grow its community outreach programs to serve 12,000 children and adults each year. The project needs $10.2 million to be completed, and so far has raised $9.6 million from the state of Connecticut, the city of New Haven, and private donors. School officials hope eventually to transform Common Ground into one of the most energy-efficient school buildings in the country.

Diane Orson contributed to this report.

See also: "Thinking Green and Small Classes Help Students Achieve," by Nancy Cohen, May 29, 2008.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.