CT State Department of Education

RSCO School Choice Placement Offers Begin March 9 for 2026-27

The Connecticut State Department of Education's Greater Hartford Regional School Choice Office (RSCO) announced that placement notifications for Greater Hartford Region magnet and Open Choice programs will begin the week of March 9, 2026, and March 16, 2026, respectively. Placement notifications for CTECS Hartford Region technical high schools began in late February 2026. Additional rounds of placement offers will begin in April 2026 and continue through summer until approximately 6,000 seats are filled across the three programs for the 2026-2027 school year. Families who receive an offer have limited time to accept and register with the school.

Connecticut Highlights Continued Progress in Dyslexia and Structured Literacy Work

The Connecticut State Department of Education has highlighted continued statewide progress through the Office of Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities, established by statute in 2021, which supports efforts to advance structured literacy practices, strengthen educator preparation, and align statewide supports for students at risk for or identified with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. A key milestone was the unanimous adoption of Connecticut's first Educator Competencies for Structured Literacy and Dyslexia by the State Board of Education in May 2025, developed in partnership with the National Center on Improving Literacy and a diverse advisory group. The Department has also developed a draft audit framework to assess educator preparation program alignment to the Competencies, which will be refined through external stakeholder feedback.

Governor Lamont Establishes K-12 Education Funding Reform Commission, $500M Affordability Fund

Governor Ned Lamont signed Executive Order No. 26-3 establishing the Governor's Blue-Ribbon Commission on K-12 Education Funding and Accountability to conduct a comprehensive review of Connecticut's education funding system, including the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant. The commission, chaired by Deputy Chief of Staff Natalie Wagner and Vice-Chaired by Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker, must submit a strategic plan by January 15, 2027. Governor Lamont also announced he is working with legislative leaders to direct $500 million from the proposed affordability fund to support local school districts during the current fiscal year.