"It actually makes the cities more appealing."
David Collins
A transformation is underway in southeastern Connecticut. New London Public Schools are transitioning to become the state’s only all-magnet school district. The idea is not only to serve city students better, but also to create schools that attract suburban students and families back to New London.
It's an expensive undertaking. The price tag is around $200 million. The state has approved its share.
David Collins writes a column for The Day newspaper of New London. He said the idea has a good deal of support.
"The referendum did very well," Collins said. "It passed almost two-to-one. There’s a mayoral election going on right now in the city, and I have to say there’s two candidates vying for the Democratic nomination, and really they fall over each other to take credit for it."
The city’s new school superintendent, Dr. Manuel Rivera, grew up in New London in a low-income neighborhood. He’s a national superintendent of the year.
Collins said that Connecticut has recognized the disparities between urban and suburban school systems, and this is an interesting way to tackle that disparity.
"And not only to improve the urban cities," Collins said, "but it actually makes the cities more appealing. New London is a small city, but it's really addressing a problem that occurs around the state."\
Listen to Collins below:
Collins said that if New London can attract students and families back to the city, it could be a model for the rest of Connecticut.
