Pinnacle Heights Purchased - Magnet school coming to city
By Robin Vinci at May 26, 2024 | 6:10 am | Print
The Connecticut Region Education Council (CREC) entered into an agreement with the City Wednesday to look at purchasing 17 acres of land on the Pinnacle Heights property known as 34 Marimac Road for a Magnet School.
“We are very excited about the prospect about building a magnet school on this site,” said Don Walsh, deputy executive of CREC. “This would be one of 15 magnet schools that CREC currently operates.”
Walsh said Mayor (Timothy) Stewart helped them find the site.
“We consider it outstanding for a magnet school,” said Walsh. “We currently have $52 million to do this project and we expect that number to increase.”
The school will be a 6-12 grade middle school in the medical profession and teacher preparation school.
“We look forwarding to looking as closely as possible with the New Britain Board of Education to make sure whatever we do is complimentary with the board’s effort,” said Walsh.
The state will hire two appraisers and go with the higher of the two appraisals in purchasing the property.
In March, the school board discussed the possibility of this magnet school coming to the City.
At that time, Sharon Beloin-Saavedra, board of education president, said that the board was looking into whether this magnet school should be combined with the New Britain High School Health Professions Academy.
When CREC operates a magnet, they have full operational control and decision making authority. The New Britain school system would be charged tuition for each student who attends - as it does now with students attending any CREC magnet. New Britain currently has 30 students attending the CREC medical magnet in its temporary location. New Britain is one of the only urban areas without a magnet school. Other communities such as Hartford, Bridgeport and Waterbury operate their own magnets - which are under Board control.
Jason Howey, Chairman of the New Britain Health Professions Academy Executive Committee, made a presentation to the school board in March and said one of the benefits to the City would be having a $60 million state of the art building that basically looks like an operating room and the cooperation of the two hospitals (Hospital of Central Connecticut and Hospital for Special Care).
“It would be a positive for the image and profile of New Britain,” added Howey.
Another positive for the city, would be a construction project within the city potentially helping to revitalize a neighborhood or spur additional business.
