STATE OF CONNECTICUT STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION February 6, 2014 Mr. Gary Mala Superintendent of Schools Avon Public Schools 34 Simsbury Road Avon, CT 06001 Dear Mr. Mala: Thank you for your participation in the Hartford Region Open Choice Program. The program offers students opportunities for academic achievement while providing them with a diverse educational setting. Racially integrated schools provide many benefits for all students including improved cross-racial understanding, reduced racial prejudice, improved critical thinking and academic achievement. Diverse schools  also  improve  students’  life  opportunities  by  preparing  them  for  a  diverse  workforce. Your  district’s  participation in Open Choice assisted the State of Connecticut in increasing enrollment of Hartford-resident minority students in reduced racial isolation settings, as mandated by the Sheff Phase II Stipulation. As we move forward under the Sheff Phase III Stipulation, district commitment to the Open Choice Program is increasingly important and offers a mutually beneficial educational opportunity for both Hartford and resident students. We anticipate your continued support and ask all districts within the Sheff operating region to stretch their opportunities and maximize participation in Open Choice initiatives. The state has set a goal of enrolling 2,500 Hartford students in the Hartford Region Open Choice Program for 2014-15 as a key initiative in meeting the court-mandated Sheff requirements. This goal represents an increase of 500 students. Requested Seats: We are proposing that Avon enroll an additional 22 students for the 2014-15 school year. This level of enrollment will bring Avon to the 4% level of funding. Please be reminded that as your district achieves certain levels of enrollment there are additional financial incentives for your participation in the program. A description of these incentives is provided in Attachment A. Please note that you are eligible for additional shared incentives if you declare your seats by March 1, 2014. Also, please note that the state has established a new competitive Capital Funds Grant of up to $75,000 for districts that enroll at least twelve (12) additional students. To guide  your  district’s  decision  making about the grades in which you will offer seats for 2014-15, please review Attachment B, which provides a chart detailing the applicant pool for your district as of January 28, 2014. The student application deadline is February 28, 2014. As a reminder, there were significant changes implemented in the application process last year. Highlights include:  Applicants are able to select and rank up to five (5) suburban public school districts as determined by the area of Hartford they currently reside in, also known as their residential zone.  Applicants may also apply to attend any district.  Applicants may choose to apply to Open Choice only.  Applicants will only receive one placement. Once applicants receive a placement in the RSCO lottery, whether magnet or Open Choice, they are removed from all other waitlists. Box 2219  Hartford, Connecticut 06145 An Equal Opportunity Employer Mr. Gary Mala February 6, 2014 Page 2 As you consider how many seats and at which grade levels you plan to offer seats, please review Attachment B and keep the following in mind:      many districts tend to offer the most seats in kindergarten and first grade. Please carefully review the grades for the Open Choice only, sibling and first choice applicants for your district. These students are specifically interested in your district, which will increase the likelihood of them accepting and enrolling in the district in a timely manner to prepare for the school year; we request that you accommodate siblings whenever possible; if you wish to offer Pre-kindergarten seats, the program you offer must be full-day, must accommodate at least 10 students and must be discussed with Connecticut State Department of Education prior to implementation; attending a new school in a new community can be difficult for children. We urge you to seat multiple  Open  Choice  students  in  the  same  classroom,  which  will  provide  the  students’  mutual   support and successful transition into their new school environment; and if you would like to enroll more Open Choice students than the number specified above, we encourage you to do so. Please note that while March 1, 2014, is the due date for seat declarations; you may declare additional seats after that date but those seats will not be eligible for the early declaration incentive bonus described in Attachment A. Districts are strongly urged to declare all seats prior to Monday, June 30, 2014, to ensure the smooth transition of students, their records, and transportation routing for the first day of the school year. Thank  you  for  your  district’s  continued  support  of  the  Hartford  Region  Open  Choice  Program.    Please  email the attached Seat Declaration form to barbara.canzonetti@ct.gov by March 1, 2014. If information is included that would identify an individual student, the form should be password protected. If you have any questions or would like more detailed information, please contact Glen Peterson at 860-713-6915. Sincerely, Stefan Pryor Commissioner of Education SP:gp cc: Peggy Roell, Chair, Board of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker, Chief Operating Officer, CSDE Glen J. Peterson, Director, Sheff Office & RSCO Office, CSDE Christina Kishimoto, Superintendent, Hartford Public Schools Bruce Douglas, Executive Director, CREC Debra M. Borrero, Director of School Choice Programs, CREC Enid Rey, Director of School Choice, HPS Janet Foster, Bureau of Choice Programs, CSDE Barbara Canzonetti, Sheff Office, CSDE Alex Knopp, Esq., Plaintiffs Representative Enclosures (2) HARTFORD REGION OPEN CHOICE PROGRAM 2014 – 2015 Requested Seats Town Superintendent Board of Education Chair Current # of Students 2013-2014 Requested # of Students 2014-2015 Attendance Grant Tiered Incentive Level Current enrollment less than 2% Bristol Dr. Ellen Solek Christopher J. Wilson 1 20 $6.000 level Enfield Dr. Jeffrey A. Schumann Thomas J. Sirard 50 25 $6,000 level Glastonbury Dr. Alan B. Bookman Susan Karp 53 27 $6,000 level Hartford Dr. Christina Kishimoto Matthew K. Polland 136 Rocky Hill Dr. Mark F. Zito Frank Morse 15 33 2% Somers Dr. Maynard Suffredini, Jr. David Palmer 17 20 2% Southington Dr. Joseph V. Erardi Brian S. Goralski 56 28 $6,000 level West Hartford Dr. Karen List Bruce Putterman 135 62 2% Wethersfield Mr. Michael T. Emmett Gina P. DeAngelo 68 20 2% Current enrollment greater than 2% Ellington Mr. Stephen C. Cullinan Daniel Keune 61 20 3% Farmington Ms. Kathleen C. Greider Mary Grace Reed 119 20 3% Newington Dr. William C. Collins Dr. Marc B. Finkelstein 93 34 3% Portland Dr. Sally E. Doyen Christopher Phelps 30 20 3% HARTFORD REGION OPEN CHOICE PROGRAM 2014 – 2015 Requested Seats Town Superintendent Board of Education Chair Current # of Students 2013-2014 Requested # of Students 2014-2015 Attendance Grant Tiered Incentive Level Current enrollment greater than 3% Avon Mr. Gary Mala Peggy Roell 113 22 4% Berlin Mr. David B. Erwin Gary R. Brochu 112 20 4% Cromwell Dr. Paula M. Talty Michael Camilleri 68 20 4% Simsbury Mr. Matthew Curtis Lydia Tedone 140 34 4% South Windsor Dr. Kate Carter David S. Joy 131 40 4% Suffield Ms. Karen Baldwin Robert Eccles 89 20 4% Windsor Locks Mr. Wayne Sweeney Patricia King 63 20 4% Current enrollment greater than 4% Bolton Mrs. Kristin B. Heckt Karen Bergin 41 20 4% Canton Mr. Kevin D. Case Leslee Hill 78 20 4% East Granby Dr. Christine Mahoney Trevor Sanford 54 12 4% East Windsor Dr. Theresa Kane Christopher Mickey 49 20 4% Granby Mr. Alan Addley Ronald Walther 83 20 4% Plainville Mr. Jeffrey C. Kitching Andrea Saunders 107 20 4% Total Requested Seats 617