Worthington Hooker School
Encyclopedia
Worthington Hooker School is a neighborhood school in the East Rock neighborhood
of New Haven
, Connecticut
. It is part of the New Haven public school system. The school is named after former Yale University
professor and physician Dr. Worthington Hooker
(1806–1867). The school serves students from kindergarten
through eighth grade
in two separate buildings, an elementary school
(K-2) and a middle school
(3-8).
The student body of around 400 students (circa 2008) includes a very high percentage of children of Yale University
graduate students, and as such, is much more multi-cultural than other New Haven public schools. The school also reports the highest achievement of the city's K-8 public schools.
The original school building at 180 Canner Street, which now houses the lower school, was erected in 1900. It currently houses kindergarten through grade 2. As this school building was not large enough to hold all nine grades, grades 3-8 were formerly located in the former Saint Stanislaus School building at 804 State Street. As of summer 2007, renovations of the main school building had been completed and efforts were under way to build a new 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) school building for the middle school on nearby Whitney Avenue. Planned construction of the new middle school was delayed for several years due to opposition by neighbors who objected to the use of "spot zoning
" to allow construction of a school in a residential neighborhood and sued
to block the project. An August 2007 unanimous decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court
allowed the project to proceed, based on a finding that the city had not abused its zoning
authority. The new middle school building for grades 3 through 8 was completed in 2009 at a cost of $36.5 million and officially opened on December 21, 2009.
The 180 Canner Street building is a contributing property
in the Whitney Avenue Historic District
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
East Rock (neighborhood)
East Rock is a neighborhood in the city of New Haven, Connecticut, named for nearby East Rock, a prominent trap rock ridge. The area is home to a large group of Yale students, staff, and faculty, as well as many young professionals and families. The neighborhood is divided between New Haven's...
of New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. It is part of the New Haven public school system. The school is named after former Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
professor and physician Dr. Worthington Hooker
Worthington Hooker
Worthington Hooker was an American physician, born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Worthington Hooker School in New Haven, Connecticut is named after him....
(1806–1867). The school serves students from kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through eighth grade
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
in two separate buildings, an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
(K-2) and a middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
(3-8).
The student body of around 400 students (circa 2008) includes a very high percentage of children of Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
graduate students, and as such, is much more multi-cultural than other New Haven public schools. The school also reports the highest achievement of the city's K-8 public schools.
The original school building at 180 Canner Street, which now houses the lower school, was erected in 1900. It currently houses kindergarten through grade 2. As this school building was not large enough to hold all nine grades, grades 3-8 were formerly located in the former Saint Stanislaus School building at 804 State Street. As of summer 2007, renovations of the main school building had been completed and efforts were under way to build a new 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) school building for the middle school on nearby Whitney Avenue. Planned construction of the new middle school was delayed for several years due to opposition by neighbors who objected to the use of "spot zoning
Spot zoning
Spot zoning is the application of zoning to a specific parcel of land within a larger zoned area when the rezoning is usually at odds with a city's master plan and current zoning restrictions. The rezoning may be for the benefit of a particular owner, and at odds with pre-existing adjacent...
" to allow construction of a school in a residential neighborhood and sued
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
to block the project. An August 2007 unanimous decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court
Connecticut Supreme Court
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol...
allowed the project to proceed, based on a finding that the city had not abused its zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
authority. The new middle school building for grades 3 through 8 was completed in 2009 at a cost of $36.5 million and officially opened on December 21, 2009.
The 180 Canner Street building is a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
in the Whitney Avenue Historic District
Whitney Avenue Historic District
__notoc__The Whitney Avenue Historic District is a historic district in New Haven, Connecticut. It is a district which included 1,084 contributing buildings when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989....
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.