Press Releases
03/01/2024
RSCO School Choice On-Time Application Deadline March 15, 2024
UPDATE: After publication of this press release, the submission deadline was moved from March 15 at 11:59 p.m. to March 18 at 5:00 p.m.
(Hartford, CT) — Connecticut families with students entering prekindergarten through grade 12 have until 5:00 p.m. (EST) on March 18, 2024, to submit an on-time School Choice application for the 2024-25 school year at ChooseYourSchool.org through the Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) Regional School Choice Office (RSCO).
Through RSCO’s school choice program, Connecticut families can apply to three different types of free, public schools in the Greater Hartford Region, including:
- 43 magnet schools incorporating specialized themes into the core curriculum, such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM); computer science; visual and performing arts; Montessori; International Baccalaureate (IB); and dual language. There are approximately 20 different themes across the system that bring the core curriculum to life!
- Open Choice public schools in districts outside their town. This program is primarily for Hartford-resident students to attend schools in surrounding suburban communities.
- Three regional technical high schools that specialize in career and technical education. Students graduate ready for college or to enter directly into their chosen career.
Placement notifications for families who submit an on-time application will begin in mid-April. Those who do not receive a placement offer in the first round will be able to view the size of waitlists in real-time and adjust their school preferences to increase their likelihood of a placement opportunity.
“We continue to expand our programming each year so there are increased opportunities for Connecticut families to find the best fit for their students based on their interests, skills, and passions,” CSDE Regional School Choice Office Director Robin Cecere said. “We highly encourage families who are interested in what school choice has to offer — whether it’s quality academics, small class sizes, specialized programming, or enriching co-curricular opportunities — to apply now before the on-time application period closes for the best chance at receiving a placement offer.”
Currently, over 20,000 students from more than 80 towns across the Greater Hartford Region are enrolled in RSCO’s school choice program.
Families who would like support or who have questions during the school discovery and application process can contact RSCO’s newly established Parent Resource Center (PRC). PRC staff are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and for extended hours during the on-time application period by phone, email, in-app messaging, and in-person appointments. Extensive language interpretation and translation assistance is also available.
Additionally, RSCO’s enhanced website and online application make it easy for families to explore their school choice options by grade level, location, academic theme, sports, and extracurricular activities, learn about transportation options, and track their application and placement status.
There is also the Winter RSCO School Choice Fair happening on March 2, 2024, at Connecticut River Academy at Goodwin University, 9 Riverside Drive, East Hartford, CT. At this free event, families can enjoy food and fun activities and meet with representatives from RSCO’s network of choice schools to learn more, ask questions, and discover exactly what school choice is all about.
For more information about school choice and to apply, visit ChooseYourSchool.org and follow RSCO on Facebook.
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For Immediate Release: March 1, 2024
Contact: Matthew Cerrone
Connecticut State Department of Education
Matthew.Cerrone@ct.gov
860-424-1988 (cell)
- Twitter: CT State Department of Education Twitter
- Facebook: CT State Department of Education Facebook