The Breakthrough Magnet Schools had their beginning as Project Breakthrough, "A K-6, School Within A School", at a large Hartford Elementary School in 1991. The proposal for its founding and financial support from Cigna Insurance Co., for teacher training, materials and data collection, was written and implemented by Norma Neumann-Johnson, the teacher team-leader of the effort.

In 1998 the effort was granted a charter by the CT State Department of Education as the Breakthrough Charter School, building on the learning and experiences from Project Breakthrough. The theme for the school, outlined in the proposal, written by then founding principal, Neumann-Johnson, formally became Character Education with the unique B.R.I.C.K.© character curriculum, still the foundation for BMS’s theme today.

In 2002, Breakthrough became one of the first two inter-district magnet schools run by the Hartford Board of Education, a total now numbering 18.

In 2006, BMS moved into its multi-million-dollar, current building, growing its student body and staff by 50%, and adding its current principal, Ms. Holly Gustafson, to the teaching staff a year later. The instruction of Mindfulness, to build students’ brain capacity to deliver on the teachings of the B.R.I.C.K. Character Curriculum©, began at that time. This program was taken up, developed and implemented by then social worker, Ms. Maritza Soto-Gomez,

In 2008, Breakthrough II opened (later renamed Breakthrough Magnet School North), at the request of the HPS superintendent, and designed by Ms. Neumann-Johnson to duplicate BMS I (now BMS South), but with only Hartford students. This expansion was led by the second in command from Breakthrough I, Ms. Tammy Cassile, and two of its teacher leaders (one of whom is now the principal of Breakthrough North, Ms. Lisa Massaro).

In 2012 Breakthrough II was invited to become an inter-district magnet school run by the Hartford Board of Education, thus creating the two Breakthroughs, North and South, of today.

Where is the creator and founding principal for the Breakthrough schools today?

In 2013, Ms. Neumann-Johnson, after having designed and implemented the proposals for all four school efforts, moved from her role as principal to creating and directing the Breakthrough Training Institute (BTI), breakthrougtraininginstitute.com. Her character guide for the BRICK Character Curriculum© is available for purchase on her website and for teachers, staff and parents as a part of her training workshops. She, herself a certified mindfulness instructor, is currently consulting with principals to transform their traditional public schools to Character Development driven schools, with school staff, students, and parents being trained in Mindfulness, Mindful and Restorative Discipline, and character education.