nothin Strong Might Become Obama School | New Haven Independent

Strong Might Become Obama School

JCJ ARCHITECTURE/PICKARD CHILTON

Rendering of future Strong — er, Obama? — School.

When the Strong 21st Century Communications Magnet School opens its new home on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University, it might have a new name — that of the 44th president on the United States.

Board of Education (BOE) President, Darnell Goldson shared that idea with the members of the Newhallville Management Team at their most recent meeting.

Christopher Peak Photo

Goldson

Goldson said a board subcommittee will consider renaming the school in honor of Barack Obama in honor of his historic election as the first African-American president.

It would be the only school named after Obama in Connecticut,” Goldson said at the meeting, which took place last week at Lincoln-Bassett School. It would be the only school in New England named after Obama, and one of only four in the total Northeast named after Obama.”

He noted it would be the only traditional public school in the Northeast named after Obama; the other three schools are charters.

It would be significant,” Goldson said of the proposed name change. We have to continue to look at how we as a majority-minority community figure out how to make sure we teach our kids just how important that is.”

Shovels are expected to be in the ground this spring for the new school, which is expected to cover about 62,000 square feet. The city has an agreement with Southern that allows it to lease space to build the pre‑K to 4 lab school on the university’s campus at 69 Farnham Ave. Alders agreed to build the new school with the help of about $34.2 million from the state; the city has to put up about $10.8 million. The larger school is expected to grow from the 350 students now served to about 490.

In addition to a new school building, part of the new ethos of the school will be grooming future teachers for New Haven’s public schools with help from Southern’s education school. While the school does receive some students from surrounding towns, the majority of students are from New Haven. The school is about 60 percent African-American and 33 percent Latino. The BOE best case scenario is to open the school to students in time for the 2020 school year.

But first, the name change has to get past a committee tasked with making such recommendations.

At a Board of Ed meeting on Feb. 12, Goldson said he’d read in this Independent story that a pedestrian footbridge is being named for President Barack Obama.

That suggestion didn’t go through the process that is outlined in our policies,” he said.

According to the bylaws, the school system has to appoint a committee before making any name changes. The committee is made up of six people: two appointed by the Board of Education president, two by the Board of Education, and two by the School Construction Committee chair. That committee then makes a recommendation that the whole Board of Education must vote to approve.

Goldson recommended Keisha Redd-Hannans, Celentano’s principal, and Krystal Augustine, an outspoken parent, as the committee’s first two members.

Christopher Peak contributed to this report.

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