"It's a win for our youngsters and not only for the town, but education as a whole for the state as a model," Superintendent Sal Pascarella said of the school that would be the first of its kind in Connecticut.
"God, I'm so happy and so proud," he added.
The council also voted to move ahead without a June 15 referendum on the academy, citing concerns about spread of COVID-19 at the polls. Through the governor's executive order, the council is permitted to vote on the borrowing authorization itself. Two council members voted in favor of the referendum.
COVID cases have spiked and fallen numerous times in Danbury, making Mayor Joe Cavo doubt the city could safely hold a referendum.
"I just don't know what the situation is going to be June 15," he said.
Danbury's growth
The academy is expected to help address growing school enrollment, while providing students with opportunities to study various career fields and pursue internships.
Danbury's school growth has outpaced not just Connecticut, but the tri-state area, with the district expecting well over 4,000 high school students within the next five years, said Antonio Iadarola, the city's engineer and public works director.
"The high school is probably the highest driver of this space," he said. "We're completely filled to the gills at our existing high school."
Demographers have consistently underestimated Danbury's growth, and the city hasn't been able to add classrooms fast enough, Iadarola said.
"I'm tired of building schools," he said. "Every time I thought I was going to get a break and get maybe five or six years off where I can actually build bridges and do a bunch of other public improvements, I'm back to building schools."
But he described the academy as "home run" project, with the plan to retrofit three "pods" within the Summit, a mixed-use development in the 1.2 million-square-foot former Union Carbide world headquarters on the city's west side. Students could work with the businesses in the Summit.
The state is expected to cover 80 percent of the cost, although the city must meet an Oct. 1 deadline for the grant. Plus, $2.4 million of city costs would be covered by money the council approved last year for school projects.
An anticipated 1,400 students would eventually attend the academy, although Pascarella has said the district would phase in students and staff.
The school would offer six academies focused on professional health services; information, cybersecurity and technology; scientific innovation and medicine; global enterprise and economics; art, engineering and design; and communications and design.
But two academies — the scientific innovation and medicine one, plus global enterprise and economics — would be created first, school officials have said.
Public response
Only three residents submitted comments for the public hearing ahead of the council's vote. One resident was concerned about the operational costs of the academy once it opens, while another said the proposed Danbury Prospect Charter School should be a "prerequisite" for the academy's approval.
Another resident, Mark Sorrentino, said now is not a good time for the city to borrow money for a school.
"Let's remember, we are still in a pandemic," he wrote. "Families are still struggling to make ends meet. Projects like this need to wait until we are fully out of this situation and allow for families to recover."
With the grant, Danbury expects to borrow about $24 million for the project, causing the city's debt service to peak out in fiscal year 2026-27, said David St. Hilaire, the city's finance director. Interest rates are low, and the city anticipates earnings savings by refinancing its bonds in a few weeks, he said.
"The timing is right for this," he said.
The state will increase how much funding it gives to the city as enrollment grows, which will help Danbury cover the operational costs of the academy, said Mark Boughton, the former mayor heading a committee in charge of the project. Still, the tax rate is expected to rise, he said.
"Your taxes are going to have to go up," he said.
Council members agreed the school is a good idea and that residents would largely support. But they differed on whether a referendum should be held during a pandemic.
Not holding a referendum saves the city roughly $15,000 to $20,000, Cavo said.
Paul Rotello, minority leader on the council, argued the city could safely hold a public vote after a presidential election was held in November, when cases were higher and no one was vaccinated.
"We are well past the unprotected elections we experienced last year," he said.
Nearby towns plan to hold referendums on their budgets over the coming weeks, with Bethel holding its vote on Tuesday.
But council member Bob Taborsak noted that COVID cases often spike after holidays, and Memorial Day could be a problem.
He said the plan is a good one because it would help the city deal with its space problem, while providing new curriculum opportunities for students.
"As an ex-teacher, I just can't see why we wouldn't expedite this as much as possible," Taborsak said.
(c)2021 The News-Times (Danbury, Conn.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
