Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 170 - Boards of Education
Section 10-220. - Duties of boards of education.

(a) Each local or regional board of education shall maintain good public elementary and secondary schools, implement the educational interests of the state, as defined in section 10-4a, and provide such other educational activities as in its judgment will best serve the interests of the school district; provided any board of education may secure such opportunities in another school district in accordance with provisions of the general statutes and shall give all the children of the school district, including children receiving alternative education, as defined in section 10-74j, as nearly equal advantages as may be practicable; shall provide an appropriate learning environment for all its students which includes (1) adequate instructional books, supplies, materials, equipment, staffing, facilities and technology, (2) equitable allocation of resources among its schools, (3) proper maintenance of facilities, and (4) a safe school setting; shall, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (f) of this section, maintain records of allegations, investigations and reports that a child has been abused or neglected by a school employee, as defined in section 53a-65, employed by the local or regional board of education; shall have charge of the schools of its respective school district; shall make a continuing study of the need for school facilities and of a long-term school building program and from time to time make recommendations based on such study to the town; shall adopt and implement an indoor air quality program that provides for ongoing maintenance and facility reviews necessary for the maintenance and improvement of the indoor air quality of its facilities; shall adopt and implement a green cleaning program, pursuant to section 10-231g, that provides for the procurement and use of environmentally preferable cleaning products in school buildings and facilities; on and after July 1, 2021, and every five years thereafter, shall report to the Commissioner of Administrative Services on the condition of its facilities and the action taken to implement its long-term school building program, indoor air quality program and green cleaning program, which report the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall use to prepare a report every five years that said commissioner shall submit in accordance with section 11-4a to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to education; shall advise the Commissioner of Administrative Services of the relationship between any individual school building project pursuant to chapter 173 and such long-term school building program; shall have the care, maintenance and operation of buildings, lands, apparatus and other property used for school purposes and at all times shall insure all such buildings and all capital equipment contained therein against loss in an amount not less than eighty per cent of replacement cost; shall determine the number, age and qualifications of the pupils to be admitted into each school; shall develop and implement a written plan for minority educator recruitment for purposes of subdivision (3) of section 10-4a; shall employ and dismiss the teachers of the schools of such district subject to the provisions of sections 10-151 and 10-158a; shall designate the schools which shall be attended by the various children within the school district; shall make such provisions as will enable each child of school age residing in the district to attend some public day school for the period required by law and provide for the transportation of children wherever transportation is reasonable and desirable, and for such purpose may make contracts covering periods of not more than five years; may provide alternative education, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-74j, or place in another suitable educational program a pupil enrolling in school who is nineteen years of age or older and cannot acquire a sufficient number of credits for graduation by age twenty-one; may arrange with the board of education of an adjacent town for the instruction therein of such children as can attend school in such adjacent town more conveniently; shall cause each child five years of age and over and under eighteen years of age who is not a high school graduate and is living in the school district to attend school in accordance with the provisions of section 10-184, and shall perform all acts required of it by the town or necessary to carry into effect the powers and duties imposed by law.

(b) The board of education of each local or regional school district shall, with the participation of parents, students, school administrators, teachers, citizens, local elected officials and any other individuals or groups such board shall deem appropriate, prepare a statement of educational goals for such local or regional school district. The statement of goals shall be consistent with state-wide goals pursuant to subsection (c) of section 10-4 and include goals for the integration of principles and practices of social-emotional learning and restorative practices in the program of professional development for the school district, in accordance with the provisions of section 10-148a, and career placement for students who do not pursue an advanced degree immediately after graduation. Each local or regional board of education shall annually establish student objectives for the school year which relate directly to the statement of educational goals prepared pursuant to this subsection and which identify specific expectations for students in terms of skills, knowledge and competence.
(c) Annually, each local and regional board of education shall submit to the Commissioner of Education a strategic school profile report for each school and school or program of alternative education, as defined in section 10-74j, under its jurisdiction and for the school district as a whole. The superintendent of each local and regional school district shall present the profile report at the next regularly scheduled public meeting of the board of education after each November first. The profile report shall provide information on measures of (1) student needs, (2) school resources, including technological resources and utilization of such resources and infrastructure, (3) student and school performance, including in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions and expulsions, the number of truants, as defined in section 10-198a, and chronically absent children, as defined in section 10-198c, (4) the number of students enrolled in an adult high school credit diploma program, pursuant to section 10-69, operated by a local or regional board of education or a regional educational service center, (5) equitable allocation of resources among its schools, (6) reduction of racial, ethnic and economic isolation, (7) special education, and (8) school-based arrests, as defined in section 10-233n. For purposes of this subsection, measures of special education include (A) special education identification rates by disability, (B) rates at which special education students are exempted from mastery testing pursuant to section 10-14q, (C) expenditures for special education, including such expenditures as a percentage of total expenditures, (D) achievement data for special education students, (E) rates at which students identified as requiring special education are no longer identified as requiring special education, (F) the availability of supplemental educational services for students lacking basic educational skills, (G) the amount of special education student instructional time with nondisabled peers, (H) the number of students placed out-of-district, and (I) the actions taken by the school district to improve special education programs, as indicated by analyses of the local data provided in subparagraphs (A) to (H), inclusive, of this subdivision. The superintendent shall include in the narrative portion of the report information about parental involvement and any measures the district has taken to improve parental involvement, including, but not limited to, employment of methods to engage parents in the planning and improvement of school programs and methods to increase support to parents working at home with their children on learning activities. For purposes of this subsection, measures of truancy include the type of data that is required to be collected by the Department of Education regarding attendance and unexcused absences in order for the department to comply with federal reporting requirements and the actions taken by the local or regional board of education to reduce truancy in the school district. Such truancy data shall be considered a public record, as defined in section 1-200.
(d) Prior to January 1, 2008, and every five years thereafter, for every school building that is or has been constructed, extended, renovated or replaced on or after January 1, 2003, a local or regional board of education shall provide for a uniform inspection and evaluation program of the indoor air quality within such buildings, such as the Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program. The inspection and evaluation program shall include, but not be limited to, a review, inspection or evaluation of the following: (1) The heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; (2) radon levels in the air; (3) potential for exposure to microbiological airborne particles, including, but not limited to, fungi, mold and bacteria; (4) chemical compounds of concern to indoor air quality including, but not limited to, volatile organic compounds; (5) the degree of pest infestation, including, but not limited to, insects and rodents; (6) the degree of pesticide usage; (7) the presence of and the plans for removal of any hazardous substances that are contained on the list prepared pursuant to Section 302 of the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, 42 USC 9601 et seq.; (8) ventilation systems; (9) plumbing, including water distribution systems, drainage systems and fixtures; (10) moisture incursion; (11) the overall cleanliness of the facilities; (12) building structural elements, including, but not limited to, roofing, basements or slabs; (13) the use of space, particularly areas that were designed to be unoccupied; and (14) the provision of indoor air quality maintenance training for building staff. Local and regional boards of education conducting evaluations pursuant to this subsection shall make available for public inspection the results of the inspection and evaluation at a regularly scheduled board of education meeting and on the board's or each individual school's web site.
(e) Each local and regional board of education shall establish a school district curriculum committee. The committee shall recommend, develop, review and approve all curriculum for the local or regional school district.
(f) Each local and regional board of education shall maintain in a central location all records of allegations, investigations and reports that a child has been abused or neglected by a school employee, as defined in section 53a-65, employed by the local or regional board of education, conducted pursuant to sections 17a-101a to 17a-101d, inclusive, and section 17a-103. Such records shall include any reports made to the Department of Children and Families. The Department of Education shall have access to such records.
(1949 Rev., S. 1501; 1949, 1953, 1955, S. 957d; February, 1965, P.A. 574, S. 11; 1969, P.A. 690, S. 4; P.A. 78-218, S. 143; P.A. 79-128, S. 11, 36; P.A. 80-166, S. 1; P.A. 84-460, S. 3, 16; P.A. 85-377, S. 5, 13; P.A. 86-333, S. 11, 32; P.A. 90-324, S. 4, 13; P.A. 93-353, S. 28, 31, 52; P.A. 94-245, S. 9, 46; P.A. 95-182, S. 6, 11; P.A. 96-26, S. 2, 4; 96-244, S. 17, 63; 96-270, S. 1, 11; P.A. 97-290, S. 21, 29; P.A. 98-168, S. 8, 26; 98-243, S. 19, 25; 98-252, S. 13, 38, 80; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 115, 121; P.A. 00-157, S. 3, 8; P.A. 01-173, S. 19, 67; P.A. 03-220, S. 1, 2; P.A. 04-26, S. 4; P.A. 06-158, S. 5; 06-167, S. 1; P.A. 08-153, S. 6; P A. 09-81, S. 2; 09-143, S. 1; 09-220, S. 6; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6, S. 54; P.A. 10-71, S. 4; P.A. 11-85, S. 6; 11-93, S. 6; 11-136, S. 10, 17; P.A. 12-120, S. 4; P.A. 13-247, S. 200; P.A. 15-133, S. 3, 4; 15-168, S. 3; 15-225, S. 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 84; P.A. 18-34, S. 7; P.A. 19-58, S. 2; P.A. 21-46, S. 13; 21-95, S. 11.)
History: 1965 act substituted Sec. 10-158a for repealed Sec. 10-158; 1969 act added requirement that boards of education “implement the educational interests of the state as defined in section 10-4a”; P.A. 78-218 substituted “school district” for “town” throughout, specified applicability of provisions to local and regional, rather than town, boards and required attendance of children “seven years of age and over and under sixteen” rather than “between the ages of seven and sixteen”; P.A. 79-128 added Subsec. (b) re statement of goals by local and regional boards; P.A. 80-166 amended Subsec. (b) to require first attestation that programs are based on state goals “on September 1, 1982” rather than “in 1981”; P.A. 84-460 amended Subsec. (a) requiring that boards insure all buildings and all capital equipment against loss in an amount not less than 80% of replacement cost; P.A. 85-377 substituted commissioner of education for state board; P.A. 86-333 amended Subsec. (b) to extend from July 1, 1986, to July 1, 1987, the date when boards of education are to begin reviewing and updating the statement of goals; P.A. 90-324 added Subsec. (c) re strategic school profile reports; P.A. 93-353 provisions requiring local or regional board to submit the statement of goals to the state board of education, state board to review the statement and approve the statement as it pertains to the state-wide goals, local or regional board to review and if necessary update the statement of goals every five years and submit such statement to the state board and state board to review and approve the statement as it pertains to the state-wide goals, and removed obsolete language and added Subsec. (d) concerning a report to the state board of education on educational goals and student objectives and the development of a comprehensive professional development plan, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-245 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to change the dates from May first to November first, effective June 2, 1994; P.A. 95-182 amended Subsec. (a) to remove a requirement that local and regional boards of education attest to the Commissioner of Education that program offerings and instruction are based on educational goals and student objectives and deleted Subsec. (d) re reports concerning the statement of educational goals and student objectives and the development and implementation of professional development plans, effective June 28, 1995; P.A. 96-26 amended Subsec. (a) to authorize placement of certain older pupils in alternative school programs or other suitable educational programs, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 96-244 amended Subsec. (c) to delete obsolete language of Subdiv. (2), deleted Subdiv. (1) designation and replaced Subparas. with Subdivs., effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 96-270 amended Subsec. (a) to add the requirement to advise the Commissioner of Education of the relationship between any individual school building project and the long-term school building program, effective July 1, 1996; P.A. 97-290 amended Subsec. (a) to add provisions re an appropriate learning environment, report on the condition of facilities and action taken to implement the long-term building program and the annual report by the commissioner to the General Assembly, and added Subsec. (c)(4) and (5) re equitable allocation of resources and re reduction of racial, ethnic and economic isolation, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-168 amended Subsec. (c) to add provisions re special education, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 98-243 amended Subsec. (a) to lower the age requirement for school attendance from 7 to 5, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 98-252 amended Subsec. (a) to add requirement for a written plan for minority staff recruitment and to make a technical change and amended Subsec. (c) to remove November date for report and in Subdiv. (2) specified technological resources and utilization of such resources and infrastructure, effective July 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 00-157 amended Subsec. (a) to change the reference to the school attendance age from “sixteen years of age” to “eighteen years of age who is not a high school graduate”, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 01-173 amended Subsec. (a) to make a technical change for the purposes of gender neutrality, effective July 1, 2001; P.A. 03-220 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re maintenance of facilities and indoor air quality and making technical changes and added Subsec. (d) re indoor air quality inspection and evaluation program, effective July 1, 2003; P.A. 04-26 made a technical change in Subsec. (d)(5), effective April 28, 2004; P.A. 06-158 amended Subsec. (a) by changing annual reporting on facility conditions to biennial reporting, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 06-167 amended Subsec. (c) by adding language re parental involvement, effective July 1, 2006; P.A. 08-153 added Subsec. (e) re establishment of curriculum committee, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 09-81 amended Subsec. (a) by adding language re green cleaning program and amended Subsec. (d) by adding language requiring inspection results to be posted on the board's or individual school's web site; P.A. 09-143 amended Subsec. (c) by adding language re truancy data, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 09-220 amended Subsec. (d)(2) by deleting requirement that inspection and evaluation program include evaluation of radon levels in the water; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-6 amended Subsec. (c) by adding new Subdiv. (4) re number of students enrolled in adult high school credit diploma program and redesignating existing Subdivs. (4) to (6) as Subdivs. (5) to (7), effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 10-71 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 18, 2010; P.A. 11-85 amended Subsec. (b) by replacing “develop” with “annually establish” and adding “for the school year” re student objectives and expectations, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-93 inserted provision in Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (f) re maintenance of records of allegations, investigations and reports of child abuse and neglect by a school employee, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 11-136 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing references to biennial with references to triennial re report on long-term school building program, indoor air quality program and green cleaning program and amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision re actions taken by board of education to reduce truancy in district, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-120 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “Commissioner of Education” with “Commissioner of Construction Services” and making a technical change, effective June 15, 2012; pursuant to P.A. 13-247, “Commissioner of Construction Services” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Administrative Services” in Subsec. (a), effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 15-133 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re alternative education, replacing reference to alternative school program with reference to alternative education and making conforming changes, and amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision re submission of strategic school profile report for each school or program of alternative education, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-168 amended Subsec. (c) by adding “in-school suspensions, out-of-school suspensions and expulsions” in Subdiv. (3), adding Subdiv. (8) re school-based arrests, replacing “for purposes of chapter 14” with “as defined in section 1-200”, and making a technical change, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 15-225 amended Subsec. (c)(3) by replacing “truancy” with “the number of truants, as defined in section 10-198a, and chronically absent children, as defined in section 10-198c”, effective July 1, 2015; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing references to triennial with references to every 5 years and replacing “2011” with “2021” re report on long-term school building program, indoor air quality program and green cleaning program, effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 18-34 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “minority staff recruitment” with “minority educator recruitment”, effective July 1, 2018; P.A. 19-58 amended Subsec. (b) to add provision re goals for career placement for students who do not pursue advanced degree immediately after graduation, effective July 1, 2019; P.A. 21-46 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re integration of principles and practices of social-emotional learning in program of professional development, effective July 1, 2021; P.A. 21-95 made identical changes as P.A. 21-46 and added “and restorative practices”, effective July 1, 2021.

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