Greenest School In Conn. Set To Open Its Doors In Bridgeport
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - A new eco-friendly magnet school opening in Bridgeport, Conn. will be the greenest school in the state.
When the Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Magnet Campus opens later this month, 750 ninth and 10th graders chosen by lottery will grace the halls as the first two classes of the state-of-the-art school.
The school is the largest and most ambitious school infrastructure project in the state's history, according to officials.
As WCBS 880 Connecticut Bureau Chief Fran Schneidau reported, the state covered most of the $126 million price tag to build the school since it's a magnet school not limited to Bridgeport residents.
Greenest School In Conn. Set To Open Its Doors In Bridgeport
"I don't know that there's anything quite like this anywhere. This is a $126 million state-of-the-art building, it's over 300,000 square feet, it collects all the rain water from the site into cisterns," Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch told Schneidau.
The rain water is then reused for plumbing, heat and air conditioning, Schneidau reported. The school also features windmills and solar panels and city officials anticipate it will be given the LEED Gold designation from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The school has a green roof design and its construction includes eco-friendly building materials with energy-efficient mechanical systems, according to the state.
The landscaping will use native vegetation and more than three-quarters of the site will be maintained as open space.
The school stands on land that used to belong to Trumbull. State lawmakers changed the boundaries to allow construction of the green school to proceed.
"Because Bridgeport was willing to work with its surrounding communities, we were able to get a school 95 percent paid for by the state and five percent by Bridgeport," said the mayor.
About 70 percent of the students will be from Bridgeport, city officials said.
This is the first new high school built in Bridgeport in 50 years, according to the state.
The school will offer a project-based curriculum focusing on science and technology.
It's anticipated that some of the students will earn college credits along with their high school diplomas.
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