Education without municipal boundaries: Greater Hartford Regional School Choice offers options
by Sarah Barr
Staff Writer
It is early in the school calendar, but it seems like yesterday that those first-day photos were posted. The bell is already ringing for the 2027-2028 school year.
That’s because families and students are thinking ahead to what’s next: pre-kindergarten, specializing in an area where a child excels, representation and coordinating schedules.
They are thinking about choice. The state Department of Education is ready to deliver on these educational options beyond a youngster’s neighborhood. It’s called school choice.
“In Greater Hartford, school choice provides the opportunity for families to access free pre-K to 12 public school options behind their home district that best fits their child’s interests, passions and goals,” Robin Cecere said.
Cecere is the director of school choice for DOE.
“These opportunities include magnet schools, which incorporate unique themes (STEM, performing arts, Montessori, International Baccalaureate) throughout the curriculum; the Open Choice program, which provides access to select schools in Hartford with specialized programming; and Hartford region technical high schools for college and career readiness.”
The Greater Hartford Regional School Choice Office is the centralized resource serving more than 20,000 students from more than 80 cities and towns throughout Connecticut. Families can choose from more than 40 magnet schools, 26 Open Choice schools, three Hartford Public Schools with specialized curricula including a gifted and talented middle school program, and three Hartford-area technical high schools.
For families, that boils down to finding the right fit academically, extracurricular and socially for their children.
Just ask folks like the Giordano, Abbasi and Prasanna families of Rocky Hill; the Torres and Schilling families of Newington; and the Journet-Washington family of Wethersfield.
For Bella Abbasi, the Discovery Academy is only one town over, but for her daughter Anaya the curriculum is worlds apart.
“We chose a magnet school to access the specialized STEM program. We looked beyond our town’s schools to support specific interests and learning styles, to benefit from smaller class sizes, and to find a better social fit within a diverse peer group,” Abbasi said of her fifth-grader.
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) drives a lot of family conversations. Seetha Prasanna’s son Sanjit, a high school senior, goes to Windsor to attend the Academy of Aerospace and Engineering.
“Our goal was to find a school that would nurture his interest in engineering, science, and technology, and that would recognize his love of engineering and technologically driven problem solving,” Prasanna said. “He has always excelled in research, design and making things come to life on his own, or in figuring out how things come to life.”
Sometimes, a child’s heart leads the way, as it does for Payton Schilling, daughter of Mary and Scott Schilling. Payton attends the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Half Day in Hartford and majors in its musical theater program.
“Payton wants to pursue a career on Broadway and wants to get as much training and guidance that she possibly can to give her the best chance to achieve that dream,” the Schillings said.
Their daughter wants more than just chorus class at school — and opted for teachers in the performing arts industry and the hands-on style classes. And yet, the puzzle pieces of learning might simply connect better because of familiarity.
Joell Torres wanted to attend the same school as his sister Jaylyn, who graduated from the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Full Day Program a few years ago.
“Joell loves to draw and was intrigued by the classes they have to offer and felt he would benefit from them,” Michael Torres said.
Learning from a sibling’s experience is one kind of familiarity. Seeing people who look like you is another.
“As parents, we wanted to find a school that aligned with our family’s values and provided an environment where our daughter could receive an excellent education while learning alongside children from many different backgrounds,” Omaris Journet said about her daughters Catalina and Zuri Washington.
They attend the Montessori Magnet School in Hartford.
“As a Black and Latino family, representation matters to us. We wanted our daughters to see themselves reflected in their school community while also learning to appreciate and celebrate the experiences, cultures and perspectives of others. Those lessons are just as important to us as the academic ones.”
And yet, sometimes an early decision just works and you just stick to it.
“We applied for Discovery Academy as an option for pre-K when our son was 3. We loved it so much that we decided to stay,” Melinda Giordano said of her son Jaxson.
For these families, the benefits of community, like-minded and motivated peers, translating passions into leadership opportunities, small class sizes, college preparation, a supportive system, and personal independence outweigh any challenges such as fostering relationships outside of school, long bus rides and/or commutes, or coordinating after-school schedules.
In the end, the family becomes more involved. For example, Melinda Giordano is PTO president of her son’s school. The Abbasi family attends after-school events and volunteers for library events and field trips as well as PTO. The Journet-Washington family volunteers and stays connected with their children’s teachers.
The Prasannas attend their son’s events, encourage his goals and help him balance it all. The same goes for the Torres family. They don’t want to limit their son’s artistic capabilities. The Schillings got to see their daughter perform at Hartford Stage this summer.
But the biggest win for these families is what sold them on the school has stuck with them. Whether it was acts of kindness, opportunities to excel, compete and perform, celebrating milestones, or encouraging life-long learning, it’s making their child feel valued.
As for any advice about looking beyond your child’s neighborhood or town borders for educational opportunities, these families agree. The child may have the passion, but the parents must do some homework, too.
This includes not only reading the websites but the also school’s social media pages, visiting the schools in person and attending open houses to experience the atmosphere. It includes speaking with current students and teachers, practicing the commute during peak rush hours, taking into consideration a child’s learning style and ability to use his or her imagination.
Cecere says RSCO is hosting a school choice fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Connecticut River Academy at which families can speak directly with school representatives. Applications for the 2027-2028 school year will be available from Dec. 2 through Feb. 5, 2027. NL RHL WL
For more information, families can visit ChooseYourSchool.org to explore schools and programs, use the School Finder and watch helpful videos that walk parents through the entire application process. They can also contact the RSCO Parent Resource Center via email, phone or schedule an in-person appointment.