RE: Greater Hartford NAACP Branch Press Release

[Secretary Greater Hartford NAACP]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Greater Hartford Branch, NAACP
Contact President: Corrie Betts 
Email: pres...@greaterhartfordnaacp.org

Hartford, Connecticut: The Greater Hartford Branch of the NAACP is raising serious concerns about the City of Hartford’s decision to pause school construction projects and advance discussions around school consolidation, particularly given that the Hartford Board of Education, the body legally charged with oversight of Hartford Public Schools has publicly opposed both actions. At the center of our concern is not process or politics, but academic achievement and educational equity for Hartford’s children.

To be clear, thoughtful planning is not the issue. Responsible planning is necessary in every school district. However, in districts across the state of Connecticut, planning does not require halting construction or freezing investment in school infrastructure. Other districts continue to move forward with construction while simultaneously developing long-term plans. Hartford should be afforded the same standard, not subjected to delays that disproportionately affect students who already face the greatest educational challenges.

As public discourse remains focused on buildings, timelines, and consolidation strategies, the most urgent issue continues to be overlooked: student outcomes. According to Connecticut State Department of Education data for the 2023–2024 school year, Hartford Public Schools continue to struggle with low proficiency rates in reading, math, and science, high levels of chronic absenteeism, and a troubling gap between graduation rates and true post-secondary readiness. These challenges disproportionately impact Black and Brown students, making academic recovery and instructional quality the defining civil rights issue of this moment.

“Planning matters, but planning cannot come at the expense of our children,” said Corrie Betts, President of the Greater Hartford NAACP. “In every other district in this state, construction moves forward while leaders’ plan. Hartford’s children should not be asked to wait for safe, modern learning environments while adults debate process. The real question is whether our decisions are improving academic outcomes and honoring our legal and moral obligation to educate every child.”

Despite these realities, decisions with far-reaching consequences for students and families are moving forward without a publicly articulated academic improvement plan and without clear evidence that consolidation or construction pauses will lead to better educational outcomes.

The Greater Hartford NAACP is therefore compelled to ask: Does the Mayor have the legal authority to pause or redirect school construction projects? How do these actions comply with state education governance statutes and federal civil rights protections, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, when the schools most affected serve predominantly students of color? What evidence demonstrates that consolidation will improve academic achievement rather than merely reduce costs or respond to enrollment declines? Why has no comprehensive academic recovery strategy been presented alongside these proposals? And how are families and communities impacted by being meaningfully engaged in decisions that will shape their children’s futures?

Buildings matter, but they are not the mission. Instruction, stability, accountability, and sustained investment are what educate children. When academic outcomes remain alarming, it is both reasonable and necessary to question whether current actions are lawful, educationally sound, and aligned with the best interests of students.

The Greater Hartford NAACP calls on the Mayor, City Council, Hartford Board of Education, and state leaders to move school construction forward while planning occurs, as is done in other districts across Connecticut, and to present a clear and data-driven plan for improving academic achievement that ensures full legal and civil rights compliance before irreversible decisions are made.

Hartford’s children deserve leadership that puts learning, equity, and outcomes first. Any action that fails to do so must be subject to public scrutiny. The future of our students, not buildings alone, must be the north star guiding every decision.

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	Greater Hartford Branch NAACP   P.O. Box 1012, Hartford, CT 06143  (860) 253-2750 |  secr...@greaterhartfordnaacp.org http://www.greaterhartfordnaacp.org/       Become A Member, Renew or Upgrade here.