Connecticut State Department of Education

Descriptions of Choice Schools

Magnet Schools (Theme-based Interdistrict schools in the Greater Hartford Region)  

  • Magnet schools offer unique programs that focus on specific themes, such as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Visual and Performing Arts; International Baccalaureate (IB); and Montessori.  
  • Students entering PK (age 3) to grade 12 may apply to a magnet school.
  • Hartford and non-Hartford residents may apply to attend magnet schools within the Greater Hartford area.
  • Applicants may choose up to five (5) schools and rank them in order of preference.   

Open Choice Schools (Interdistrict school options in the Greater Hartford Region)

  • Open choice provides opportunities for students to attend schools outside of their home district.
  • Students entering PK (age 4) through grade 12 may apply to an Open Choice School.
    • Hartford residents may apply to attend a public school in a school district located outside of Hartford.
    • Non-Hartford residents may apply to attend a public school located in Hartford.    

Technical High Schools (High schools within the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS) that focus on career and college readiness)

  • Students entering grade 9 may apply to the three technical high schools in the Greater Hartford Region: A.I. Prince (Hartford), E.C. Goodwin (New Britain), and Howell Cheney (Manchester).  
  • Technical high schools offer career and college readiness, including the opportunity for students to:   
    • earn certification in their field of study and career credentials such as state licensure and industry-recognized certifications;
    • earn college credit; and
    • gain valuable and marketable work experience.
  • Applicants apply to all three (3) technical high schools as a region and rank them in order of preference.

Agricultural Science and Technology Education Schools (ASTE programs within high schools focused on agricultural science fields)

  • Students prepare for college and careers in the fields of animal science, aquaculture, biotechnology, food science, environmental science, plant science, marine technology, agricultural mechanics technology, and agriculture business as part of their high school program and several of these programs provide opportunities for students to receive college credit in high school.
  • Hartford students entering grade 9 may apply to ASTE schools in Bloomfield, Glastonbury, and Suffield using a separate ASTE paper application.  Applicants do not apply using the RSCO on-line application process. 
  • Students living in Hartford and attending one of the three ASTE schools in the Greater Hartford Region (Bloomfield, Glastonbury, and Suffield) are eligible for RSCO Transportation.