You asked for a report on the Arts at the Capitol Theatre (ACT) magnet school's choice to offer full-time programs to its students and a comparison to other part-time magnet schools in Connecticut.

SUMMARY

The Arts at the Capitol Theatre (ACT) magnet school in Willimantic, Connecticut began offering a full-time program to students during the 2007-2008 school year, as a pilot program, which was successful. The full-time program makes the school more accessible to students and implements the Sheff v. O'Neill decision. Also, the magnet school receives more state aid for full-time students. The parents currently pay the bulk of tuition for part-time students at ACT. The Connecticut Department of Education is trying to phase out parent-pay programs for public schools.

Two other magnet schools have also begun offering full-time programs, the Greater Hartford Academy of Arts and the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science. Unlike ACT, these schools will continue to offer their part-time programs to students.

ACT'S ELIMINATION OF THE PART-TIME PROGRAM

According to Tracy Goodell-Pelletier, acting Principal and Dean of the ACT school, there were many considerations in offering the full-time program. The school implemented the pilot program in 2007, and it was successful and well-liked by the students. The full-time program makes the school more accessible to students, helps to implement the Sheff v. O'Neill decision, and promotes the principles of desegregation. (Technically, the Sheff decision applies only to the Hartford region.) The magnet school also receives more state aid for full-time students.

In 2007-2008, the school informed the incoming freshman class that it would be (1) implementing the full-time program and (2) offering only full-time classes when the freshmen reached their junior level. The change to a full-time program has been phased in by grade level; in 2007 the school began offering the full-time program for the freshman class. This year, 2008-2009, the freshmen and sophomore classes are full-time. Next year, the full-time program will be offered to the freshman, sophomore and junior classes.

According to the Department of Education legislative liaison, the students prefer being in school with students of similar interests for the full day and prefer not to travel between two schools. Further, many of the districts do not operate high school programs in eastern Connecticut.

OTHER MAGNET SCHOOLS OFFERING BOTH PART-TIME AND FULL-TIME PROGRAMS

The Greater Hartford Academy of Arts and the Greater Hartford Academy of Math and Science are operated by CREC, the Capitol Region Education Council. The academies are working together in offering a full-time program to students. They began implementing a full-time program in 2007 to increase opportunities to students to attend magnet schools and in light of the Sheff v. O'Neill decision, according to Eric Bernstein, Principal and Director of the Academies. They will continue to offer part-time programs for the students who prefer to spend the mornings at their home school. Less than one-quarter of the students attend full-time, Bernstein advised.

SHEFF V. O'NEILL

Sheff v. O'Neill is a 1996 Connecticut Supreme Court decision that found the school districting program in Connecticut violated the state constitution, specifically the provisions affording equal education opportunities. The court directed the executive and legislative branches “to put the search for appropriate remedial measures at the top of their respective agendas” (Sheff v. O'Neill, 238 Conn. 1, 46 (1996)). The Sheff decision only directly affects the Hartford region. However, the legislature established the reduction of racial, ethnic, and economic isolation in Connecticut's school districts as one of the state's educational interests (CGS § 10-4a). Consequently, the state funds interdistrict magnet schools throughout the state to accomplish that goal.

JLR:ts