Danbury: Education and Research

Danbury: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

The Danbury Board of Education, comprised of 11 elected representatives serving unpaid two- or four-year terms, is the district's policy-making body. The school system supports an Alternative Center for Education, before and after school programs, the "Summit" programs for gifted and talented students, the Elementary Technology Program, and special education classes. The Danbury School and Business Collaborative (DSABC) offers special programs such as mentors/tutors from the business community, job shadowing, scholarships, opportunities for high school students to earn high school and college credits simultaneously, and bilingual studies. The city also has 10 nonpublic schools.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Danbury public school system as of the 2003–2004 school year.

Total enrollment: 9,505

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 13

junior high/middle schools: 2

senior high schools: 1

other: 1

Student/teacher ratio: 14:1

Teacher salaries (2004–2005)

minimum: $37,087

maximum: $80,354

Funding per pupil: $5,921 (2004–2005)

Public Schools Information: Danbury Public Schools, Administrative Center, 63 Beaver Brook Rd., Danbury, CT 06810; telephone (203)797-4701

Colleges and Universities

Western Connecticut State University has consistently been rated as "Competitive plus" by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, based on the ratio of full-time PhD professors to part-time faculty. The university, with two campuses and nearly 5,900 students enrolled in full- and part-time graduate and undergraduate programs, grants bachelor's degrees in business, arts and sciences, and professional studies. It also maintains a planetarium and operates a radio station.

Libraries and Research Centers

Danbury Public Library, founded in 1879, holds about 92,085 books, 311 periodicals, about 1,500 CDs, over 5,000 videos, and nearly 250 CD-ROMs. Western Connecticut State University's Ruth A. Haas Library holds nearly 174,000 volumes as well as about 5,400 periodicals, music scores, and tapes. Special collections focus on county and state history, music education, and teacher education. The University also operates the Robert S. Young Business Library with 5,800 volumes and 320 periodicals and is a U.S. government documents depository. Danbury Museum and Historical Society's research library specializes in American antiques and genealogy. Law and related topics are the focus at the Law Library at Danbury Courthouse, Department of Justice Centralized Library of the Federal Correctional Institution, and Union Carbide's Law Department Library; a library is also maintained by Danbury Hospital. The NeuroCommunication Research Laboratories, Inc. specializes in neurological diseases, psychology, and dermatology and also includes a library while the Clinical Research Center of CT/NY performs clinical trials involving rheumatology.

Public Library Information: Danbury Public Library, 170 Main St., Danbury, CT 06810; telephone (203)797-4505; fax (203)796-1677