5117.2 5117.2Students
School Attendance Areas
Inter-District Choice
The Board of Education recognizes that students may benefit from having a choice of schools to attend within the public school system that is not limited by school and/or district boundaries. An interdistrict public school attendance program will (1) provide parents and students with greater opportunities to choose the school and/or program that best meets the academic needs of the student; (2) positively influence the level of parent involvement and student motivation; (3) improve academic achievement; (4) reduce racial, ethnic and economic balance; and (5) provide a choice of educational programs for students.
The District will cooperate with the appropriate regional educational service center in the planning and implementation of an inter-district public school attendance program in accordance with the timelines and provisions contained within applicable Connecticut General Statutes as may be periodically amended and pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Nonresident students from other school districts within the state, in the Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport regions and New London who apply pursuant to the regulations approved by the Board, may enroll in particular programs or schools in districts in the surrounding areas on a space available basis, without payment of tuition except that the District shall receive an amount, within available appropriations, from the Department of Education, for each out-of-district student attending a school within the District. It is recognized that the Regional Service Centers shall determine which school districts in its area are located close enough to a priority school district to make transportation feasible. (note CGS 10-266aa(c) restricts mandatory participation in the Open Choice Program to Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven and New London.)
When there are more students seeking to attend school in a receiving district than there are spaces available, the RESC shall assist the school district in determining attendance by use of a lottery or lotteries designed to preserve or increase racial, ethnic or economic diversity.
In providing for admission of nonresident students, the school District shall consider:
1. Issues pertaining to the availability of space within a requested school to accommodate the enrollment request. The District will notify its RESC by March 31 of each year of the space it will have available for students from the surrounding area for the new school year.
2. Programs available and the possible establishment of new programs.
3. Eligibility criteria for participating in a particular program, including age requirements, course prerequisites and required levels of performance.
4. Dates of enrollment of nonresident students in a school or program.
5. The requirement that participants attending school in the District shall do so until they graduate from high school.
The Board recognizes that the Open Choice Program is a voluntary, not mandatory, "in-only transfer" program, allowing students from outside the district to transfer to schools in the districts of Bristol, Danbury, East Hartford, Meriden, New Britain, Norwalk, Putnam, Stamford, Waterbury, and Windham. Students may transfer into these ten priority districts only if they bring racial ethnic and economic diversity into the district and do not increase the racial, ethnic and economic isolation of the priority school district.
Beginning with the school year, it will be the policy of this District to receive nonresident students as part of the state-wide interdistrict public school attendance program in accordance with plan developed with the Regional Educational Service Center. Such planning, the Board believes, should consider, but not be limited to, the issues of definition and determination of space availability, choice of students, transportation to and from school and for after-school activities. Further, planning should consider issues related to special education, prior disciplinary behavior, and acceptance of prior academic work. The District will not recruit students under this program for athletic or extracurricular purposes. Records of students involved in the interdistrict program will be promptly forwarded to the receiving district.
The Board directs the Superintendent and staff not to make any distinction on account of race, sex, ethnic group, religion or disability of any student who is in attendance or who seeks admission to any school within this District in the determination or recommendation of action under this policy.
Magnet School Parent Choice Option
Parents/guardians of students attending District schools shall have the option to enroll their child(ren) in a magnet school with which the District is a non-participating district. This enrollment may occur when an interdistrict magnet school has unused student capacity and may enroll directly into its program any interested student. A student from a district that is not participating in the interdistrict magnet school shall be given preference. The District is obligated to support the operation of the interdistrict magnet school in an amount equal to the per student tuition, if any, charged to participating districts.
(cf. 5145.4 - Nondiscrimination)
(cf. 5117 - School Attendance Areas)
(cf. 5117.1 - Intra-District Choice/Open Enrollment)
(cf. 5118 - Nonresident Attendance)
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-4a Education interests of state defined.
10-221e Interdistrict student assignment programs
10-226a Students or racial minorities
10-226b Existence or racial intolerance
10-226c Plan to correct imbalance
Connecticut General Statutes
10-226d Approval of Plan by State Board
10-266aa Statewide interdistrict public school attendance program.
P.L. 114-95 Every Student Succeeds Act
McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001, as amended by PL 114-95
P.A. 07-3 (June Special Session) An Act Concerning Implementing the Provisions of the Budget Concerning Education Section 42
Policy adopted: