(a) The public schools shall be open to all children five years of age and over who reach age five on or before the first day of January of any school year, and each such child shall have, and shall be so advised by the appropriate school authorities, an equal opportunity to participate in the activities, programs and courses of study offered in such public schools, at such time as the child becomes eligible to participate in such activities, programs and courses of study, without discrimination on account of race, as defined in section 46a-51, color, sex, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability; provided boards of education may, by vote at a meeting duly called, admit to any school children under five years of age.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section shall be deemed to amend other provisions of the general statutes with respect to curricula, facilities or extracurricular activities.
(P.A. 78-218, S. 10; P.A. 79-128, S. 12, 36; P.A. 80-405, S. 1, 4; P.A. 81-472, S. 10, 159; P.A. 88-360, S. 3, 63; P.A. 97-247, S. 6, 27; P.A. 11-55, S. 8; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 405.)
History: P.A. 79-128 required equal opportunity to participate in activities, programs and courses of study, deleting former possible limitation of equal opportunity, i.e. “within the limits of existing expenditures in any one school year”; P.A. 80-405 required school authorities to advise children of opportunities available when they are eligible to participate; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 88-360 substituted the provision that public schools be open to all children “who reach age five on or before the first day of January of any school year” for the provision that boards of education “may exclude children who will not attain the age of five years until after the first day of January of any school year”; P.A. 97-247 designated the existing section as Subsec. (a), added “sexual orientation” and added Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 11-55 amended Subsec. (a) to prohibit discrimination on account of gender identity or expression; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “as defined in section 46a-51,” to provision re race, adding “or disability”, and making a conforming change, effective June 23, 2021.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Title 10 - Education and Culture
Chapter 164 - Educational Opportunities
Section 10-15c. - Discrimination in public schools prohibited. School attendance by five-year-olds.
Section 10-15j. - Connecticut Remote Learning Commission.
Section 10-15l. - Comprehensive audit re provision of remote learning during COVID-19 pandemic.
Section 10-15m. - Purple Star School Program.
Section 10-16. - Length of school year.
Section 10-16o. - Development of network of school readiness programs.
Section 10-16r. - Local school readiness councils; duties. Regional school readiness councils.
Section 10-16uu. - Black and Latino studies course to be offered in grades nine to twelve.
Section 10-16vv. - Native American studies instruction.
Section 10-19o. (Formerly Sec. 17a-40a). - Youth service bureau grant program.
Section 10-21j. - Connecticut Apprenticeship and Education Committee.
Section 10-25b. - Model curriculum for grades kindergarten to eight.
Section 10-66ss. - Amendment to charter.
Section 10-71. - State grants for adult education programs.
Section 10-76g. - State aid for special education.
Section 10-76q. - Special education at technical education and career schools.
Section 10-91g. - Audits of private providers of special education services.