Windham Connecticut has about 3,400 public school students, of which about 62 percent are Latino. In total, 7 in 10 Windham public school students are minority.
More than 75 percent of the students come from families that qualify for free or reduced priced lunches. One in four aren’t fluent in English and nearly 40 percent go home to households where English is not the primary language. In addition, approximately 16 percent of the students receive some type of special education services.
The Windham School System is a prime example of the challenges that come with poverty, language barriers and the need for special education services.
In response to these problems, legislation was adopted that allowed Governor Malloy to appoint a Special Master to oversee the public schools. The Malloy Administration’s