As rumbles grow louder about the state meeting its commitments to New London schools, it is important to recall how matters got to this point. The vision of New London as an all-magnet school district is largely the product of the state intervention that was aimed at turning around the troubled school system.

In pursuit of that vision, city voters in 2014 overwhelmingly authorized up to $168 million in bonding to provide the quality school buildings necessary to attract students from across the region. Planning is underway to renovate New London High School and Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School, and construct a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) middle school at the high school campus. Under the plan, state reimbursements will cover 80 percent of the costs. That promised state aid is essential to make the new system a reality.

Also in 2014, the New London Board of Education hired Superintendent Manuel J. Rivera — a National Superintendent of the Year winner, former deputy education policy adviser for New York State, and former superintendent of Rochester, N.Y., schools — for the purpose of leading the transformation.

A native of New London, Dr. Rivera left his secure position as superintendent of Norwalk schools — calling it the “most difficult decision of my personal and professional career”— to meet the unique challenge the transition presented.

“Ultimately, for personal reasons, I took the opportunity to come back home and make a difference in the community as New London becomes the state’s first all-magnet school district,” he told the school board in November 2014.

The strategic plan to develop an all-magnet school district was directed by veteran education administrator Steven Adamowski, appointed by the state Board of Education in 2012 as special master to find a path forward for New London schools. In a March 2013 meeting with the Editorial Board, Dr. Adamowski said the all-district plan would attract more state aid for the cash-strapped city, racially and economically diversify its schools, while boosting excitement, achievement and parental involvement.

New London has met its obligations, providing the foundation to turn vision into reality. Connecticut cannot renege on its end of the bargain.

Yet there are troubling signs.

During the recent special session aimed at closing a budget, the legislature slashed $6 million in magnet-school aid. The school board fears losing $1.2 million in state aid for the existing Nathan Hale Arts Magnet School. With Dr. Adamowski gone, and state intervention winding down, New London schools could lose another $1.1 million in state aid that came with the state’s involvement.

The potential $1.2 million loss is tied to the $3,000 in state aid that New London receives for every city student attending Nathan Hale, now about 400. As they go online, all the magnet schools will be counting on that state support. In his 2013 meeting with The Day Editorial Board, Dr. Adamowski said that $3,000 per student subsidy was critical to make the planned transition fiscally viable for New London.

To qualify for the subsidy, however, a school must demonstrate its regional support by having at least 25 percent of enrollment consisting of out-of-district students. Nathan Hale is making great progress, with 21 percent out-of-district placements. Last year the school received a waiver of the 25 percent requirement, a policy recognizing that building a regional student body takes time. Dr. Rivera expects to hit the 25 percent figure next school year.

But the state Department of Education, with its own financial problems and a legislative mandate to cut magnet-school associated costs, appears disinclined to grant a waiver for this year.

Most alarming is talk of a cost-saving cap on magnet school enrollment.

“A cap would destroy our efforts to become a magnet district,” said Dr. Rivera.

New London’s representatives in Hartford — Democrat Rep. Ernest Hewett and Republicans Sen. Paul Formica and Rep. Aundre Bumgardner — need to lead the local delegation in a fight to maintain the magnet school funding for New London and exempt students attending its magnet schools from any cap.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy also needs to be an advocate for making the New London experiment a success. In meetings with our board, Gov. Malloy has endorsed the magnet plan and said this small urban school district has the potential to show that dramatic improvements in academic performance are possible through innovative approaches. But that will require the state being a consistent and reliable partner, even during difficult times.