http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hr/hc-perezcollege0108.artjan08,1,3654129.story

Perez To Announce College Initiative

Plan Includes Commission Of Academic, Business Leaders

By MARK PAZNIOKAS
Courant Staff Writer

January 8 2004

In what his staff touts as a major initiative, Mayor Eddie A. Perez today will announce an effort to increase college attendance by Hartford students, including the possibility of directing more students to private and parochial secondary schools.

Perez plans to establish a blue-ribbon commission of academic, business and community leaders led by School Superintendent Robert Henry and Estela R. Lopez, vice chancellor of the state university system. Its members will include Philip E. Austin, president of the University of Connecticut.

"This is about creating opportunities," Perez said Wednesday. "I am very confident in the public school system, but I don't want to exclude kids who go to Catholic schools or private schools."

Perez's staff said the mayor does not intend to propose using city resources to send children to private schools, but he has approached private schools about making a greater effort to welcome city children. The effort could include scholarships and outreach.

Urban public school systems tend to be sensitive about elected officials considering private and parochial schools as a means to a better education for city students, but the mayor's chief of staff, Matt Hennessy, said Perez is open to all approaches.

"The mayor isn't sticking to one path, if there are opportunities on another path," Hennessy said. "This is a Democratic mayor in a conventionally liberal city. You will see him standing with public and private school educators, something that might not have ever been seen in city hall."

The initiative will greatly involve the city's public schools, he said.

Without offering detailed proposals, Perez has repeatedly spoken publicly since his re-election announcement last summer of the importance of placing more city children on the path to four-year colleges.

Hennessy said the mayor considers the blue-ribbon commission an economic-development initiative, not strictly an educational effort.

"Jobs in the region continue to be in health care, finance, high tech. And those jobs require four-year degrees," Hennessy said.

Copyright 2004, Hartford Courant