Connecticut State Auditors found 47 students were enrolled in magnet schools outside of the lottery process during the 2016-2017 school year in a new audit of the State Department of Education, potentially violating the 1996 Sheff v. O’Neill State Supreme Court ruling.
Empty school desks and chairs were arranged on the steps of the U.S. District Courthouse in Bridgeport Tuesday for a press conference with parents of children who have been denied entry into magnet schools because of their race.
Groton has been trying in vain to meet state racial balance requirements for its schools since 2000, but now city leaders have a new idea: build one giant middle school. The effort - known as the Groton 2020 plan - comes with a price-tag of $191.7 million. With up to 80 percent of construction costs being paid for by the state, the Groton 2020 plan is a prime example of how court-imposed racial balance guidelines are forcing districts to build new schools and costing towns and the state millions. Yet, despite the money spent many remain dissatisfied with the results.