Greater Hartford Families Can Explore School Options That Match Their Students’ Interests and Passions through RSCO
- Submitted
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Submitted Photos
Families in the Greater Hartford region can explore different school options beyond their hometown that match their students’ interest and passions through the Greater Hartford Regional School Choice Office (RSCO).
Created and run through the state’s Department of Education, the office provides soups to nuts aid in helping students pick and choose the school that best suits their needs and interests for student PreK4-12th grade.
“We’re the one stop shopping source,” said Robin Cecere. She is the director of the program. “It’s an opportunity that any parent can think about to set a student to a great pathway.
“Some kids want specialized experience that is not necessarily in their community. These are free public schools, PK-12, that have something specialized and provide the environment that helps them develop lifelong love of learning. We let them know what options exist that pique their interest. That might be their place to thrive.”
Town resident Jessica Chung and her husband Remell are glad they took advantage of the program by sending their daughters to the University of Hartford Magnet School in Hartford. They have three daughters—Camille, 11, who went to the school through 5th grade and is now in 7th grade at King Philip Middle School, and Charlotte, 8, and Caroline, 4, who are both currently attending the school.
“I’m a former middle and high school teacher. I was really impressed by how many teachers were in attendance (at a RSCO open house at the magnet school); it reflected an investment in the school,” Chung said. “The tour of the facility was bright and engaging and on a college campus.
“It’s an incredible opportunity,” she continued. “My oldest daughter was very well prepared when she went to King Philip. Overall, it’s giving them the chance to learn from kids all over the region. She now also has friends from all over town and it’s broadened her horizons. We appreciate the diversity and enjoy the community there. All three girls have made friends, and we have made friends with their parents.”
RSCO helps parents and students make choices by offering three distinct programs under their umbrella. First, they can choose from more than 40 magnet schools that have specialized themes they pair with core curriculum. Some of those themes include aerospace, computer science, engineering, environmental science, visual and performing arts, global studies and more.
“They are still learning core curriculum,” Cecere said, “but it’s incorporated to really trigger interest and passion and provide momentum.”
Cecere is proud of all the students who thrive in the program, including Neha, who has always wanted to be a doctor. While attending the Sports and Medical Sciences Academy in Hartford, she was also preparing for a career in medicine by taking part in the UCONN Health Aetna Health Professions Partnership Initiative Doctors Academy. That meant attending the program on 25 Saturdays throughout the academic year and doing a six-week course in the summer.
Neha is now attending UConn’s Special Program in Medicine in an eight-year combined BS/MD program that gives high-achieving high school seniors conditional acceptance into the UConn School of Medicine after completing an undergraduate degree at the Storrs campus.
“She said, ‘I found my people. I’m going to be a doctor,’” Cecere mentioned. “She was so set up and supported—so accomplished. It inspired me. There are so many stories like that. When you have a passion, (school) can be a safe and comfortable place for thriving and becoming what you want to be.”
Another program is Open Choice, where Hartford students can attend local public schools in other towns, and non-Hartford students can go to select Hartford Public schools, including one that offers a gifted and talented curriculum.
And the third program is the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System for grades 9-12, which is for students who will go to one of the three technical schools— A.I. Prince Technical High School (Hartford), E.C. Goodwin Technical High School (New Britain), and Howell Cheney Technical High (Manchester).
“This prepares a student for college education or immediate employment for after graduation,” Cecere said. Students receive their core education plus learn technical fields such as health sciences, manufacturing, automotive, culinary arts, and more.
Free transportation is provided for K-12 students from 43 towns. For parents who worry that their child will not get to participate in extracurricular and athletic programs, that too, is an option for any student who wishes to participate.
Families who are interested in applying for the 2027-2028 school year can do so from December 2, 2026, through February 5, 2027. Cecere suggests taking the time to go through the resource-rich website, www. chooseyourschool.org and learn all about the programs available before making any choices.
“We’re here to be their centralized resource,” she said. “The parent resource center is open for people to call, email, or set up an appointment. We have interpretation services and our staff is all bilingual. Our job is to help them make informed decisions. We try very hard to make it accessible.”
In other words, find the right fit, pick the right program, and go to the open house events where principals and teachers will be available to talk about what they offer. (Open houses at each school can be found on the website.) Families can apply to any program they are eligible for through the RSCO school choice application and rank their selected schools in order of preference.
There is a video library online to aid in decision making, and a step-by-step process to guide parents through the application. Staff can even help with filling out the application. WHL
School Choice Fair is October 24
The next School Choice Fair for parents and students is on October 24 from 10am-1pm (doors close at 12:30 p.m.) at Connecticut River Academy. At the School Choice Fair, families can meet with representative from RSCO's network of choice schools - magnet schools, open choice districts, and technical high schools—and learn about classes, sports, clubs, and transportation, while participating in fun activities. This free event is the perfect time for prospective families to learn more, ask questions, and discover exactly what RSCO school choice is all about.Go to www.chooseyourschool.org for more information.