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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5416
February Session, 2024
AN ACT CONCERNING VARIOUS REVISIONS TO THE EDUCATION
STATUTES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2024) The Department of Education shall 1
develop a plan to replace the state-wide mastery examination currently 2
approved by the State Board of Education pursuant to section 10-14n of 3
the general statutes. Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, (1) a 4
recommendation for an assessment tool or examination that reduces the 5
amount of instructional time used to prepare for and administer a state-6
wide mastery examination and is capable of assessing a larger array of 7
student abilities, and (2) the costs and timeline required for 8
implementing such assessment tool or examination as the new state-9
wide mastery examination. Not later than January 1, 2026, the 10
Department of Education shall submit, in accordance with the 11
provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 12
committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 13
relating to education the plan developed pursuant to this section. 14
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2024) In determining the rights and 15
benefits earned by a teacher under sections 10-151 and 10-156 of the 16
general statutes, employment in a school operated by Goodwin 17
University Magnet Schools, Inc. or Goodwin University Educational 18
Services, Inc. shall not be deemed to interrupt the continuous 19 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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employment of a teacher who was employed by a local or regional board 20
of education during the school year immediately prior to employment 21
in such school and such teacher shall continue as an employee of 22
Goodwin University Magnet Schools, Inc. or Goodwin University 23
Educational Services, Inc., subject to the provisions of section 10-151 of 24
the general statutes. 25
Sec. 3. Subsections (c) to (g), inclusive, of section 10-266aa of the 2024 26
supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is 27
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 28
(c) The program shall be phased in as provided in this subsection. (1) 29
For the school year commencing in 1998, and for each school year 30
thereafter, the program shall be in operation in the Hartford, New 31
Haven and Bridgeport regions. The Hartford program shall operate as 32
a continuation of the program described in section 10-266j. Students 33
who reside in Hartford, New Haven or Bridgeport may attend school in 34
another school district in the region and students who reside in such 35
other school districts may attend school in Hartford, New Haven or 36
Bridgeport, provided, beginning with the 2001-2002 school year, the 37
proportion of students who are not minority students to the total 38
number of students leaving Hartford, Bridgeport or New Haven to 39
participate in the program shall not be greater than the proportion of 40
students who were not minority students in the prior school year to the 41
total number of students enrolled in Hartford, Bridgeport or New 42
Haven in the prior school year. The regional educational service center 43
operating the program shall make program participation decisions in 44
accordance with the requirements of this subdivision. (2) For the school 45
year commencing in 2000, and for each school year thereafter, the 46
program shall be in operation in New London, provided beginning with 47
the 2001-2002 school year, the proportion of students who are not 48
minority students to the total number of students leaving New London 49
to participate in the program shall not be greater than the proportion of 50
students who were not minority students in the prior year to the total 51
number of students enrolled in New London in the prior school year. 52 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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The regional educational service center operating the program shall 53
make program participation decisions in accordance with this 54
subdivision. (3) The Department of Education may provide, within 55
available appropriations, grants for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, 56
to the remaining regional educational service centers to assist school 57
districts in planning for a voluntary program of student enrollment in 58
every priority school district, pursuant to section 10-266p, which is 59
interested in participating in accordance with this subdivision. For the 60
school year commencing in 2003, and for each school year thereafter, the 61
voluntary enrollment program may be in operation in every priority 62
school district in the state. Students from other school districts in the 63
area of a priority school district, as determined by the regional 64
educational service center pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, may 65
attend school in the priority school district, provided such students 66
bring racial, ethnic and economic diversity to the priority school district 67
and do not increase the racial, ethnic and economic isolation in the 68
priority school district. (4) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, 69
there shall be a pilot program in operation in Danbury and Norwalk. 70
The pilot program shall serve (A) up to fifty students who reside in 71
Danbury, and such students may attend school in the school districts for 72
the towns of New Fairfield, Brookfield, Bethel, Ridgefield and Redding, 73
and (B) up to fifty students who reside in Norwalk, and such students 74
may attend school in the school districts for the towns of Darien, New 75
Canaan, Wilton, Weston and Westport. School districts which receive 76
students from Danbury and Norwalk under the pilot program during 77
the school year commencing July 1, 2022, shall allow such students to 78
attend school in the district until they graduate from high school. (5) For 79
the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year 80
thereafter, the town of Guilford shall be eligible to participate in the 81
program as a receiving district and a sending district with New Haven. 82
(6) For the school year commencing July 1, 2024, and each school year 83
thereafter, the town of Madison shall be eligible to participate in the 84
program as a receiving district and a sending district with New Haven. 85
(d) School districts which received students from New London under 86 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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the program during the school year commencing July 1, 2000, shall 87
allow such students to attend school in the district until they graduate 88
from high school. The attendance of such students in such program shall 89
not be supported by grants pursuant to subsections (f) and (g) of this 90
section but shall be supported, in the same amounts as provided for in 91
said subsections, by interdistrict cooperative grants pursuant to section 92
10-74d to the regional educational service centers operating such 93
programs. 94
(e) Once the program is in operation in the region served by a 95
regional educational service center pursuant to subsection (c) of this 96
section, the Department of Education shall provide an annual grant to 97
such regional educational service center to assist school districts in its 98
area in administering the program and to provide staff to assist students 99
participating in the program to make the transition to a new school and 100
to act as a liaison between the parents of such students and the new 101
school district. Each regional educational service center shall determine 102
which school districts in its area are located close enough to a priority 103
school district to make participation in the program feasible in terms of 104
student transportation pursuant to subsection (f) of this section, 105
provided any student participating in the program prior to July 1, 1999, 106
shall be allowed to continue to attend the same school such student 107
attended prior to said date in the receiving district until the student 108
completes the highest grade in such school. If there are more students 109
who seek to attend school in a receiving district than there are spaces 110
available, the regional educational service center shall assist the school 111
district in determining attendance by the use of a lottery or lotteries 112
designed to preserve or increase racial, ethnic and economic diversity, 113
except that the regional educational service center shall give preference 114
to siblings and to students who would otherwise attend a school that 115
has lost its accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and 116
Colleges or has been identified as in need of improvement pursuant to 117
the No Child Left Behind Act, P.L. 107-110. The admission policies shall 118
be consistent with section 10-15c and this section. No receiving district 119
shall recruit students under the program for athletic or extracurricular 120 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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purposes. Each receiving district shall allow out-of-district students it 121
accepts to attend school in the district until they graduate from high 122
school. 123
(f) The Department of Education shall provide grants to regional 124
educational service centers or local or regional boards of education for 125
the reasonable cost of transportation for students participating in the 126
program. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, and each fiscal year 127
thereafter, the department shall provide such grants within available 128
appropriations, provided the state-wide average of such grants does not 129
exceed an amount equal to three thousand two hundred fifty dollars for 130
each student transported, except that the Commissioner of Education 131
may grant to regional educational service centers or local or regional 132
boards of education additional sums from funds remaining in the 133
appropriation for such transportation services if needed to offset 134
transportation costs that exceed such maximum amount. The regional 135
educational service centers shall provide reasonable transportation 136
services to high school students who wish to participate in supervised 137
extracurricular activities. For purposes of this section, the number of 138
students transported shall be determined on October first of each fiscal 139
year. 140
(g) (1) Except as provided in subdivisions (2) and (3) of this 141
subsection, the Department of Education shall provide, within available 142
appropriations, an annual grant to the local or regional board of 143
education for each receiving district (A) for the fiscal year ending June 144
30, 2024, in an amount not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars 145
for each out-of-district student who attends school in the receiving 146
district under the program, and (B) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 147
2025, and each fiscal year thereafter, in an amount at least two thousand 148
five hundred dollars for each out-of-district student who attends school 149
in the receiving district under the program. 150
(2) (A) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2013, and each fiscal year 151
thereafter, the department shall provide, within available 152
appropriations, an annual grant to the local or regional board of 153 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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education for each receiving district if one of the following conditions 154
are met as follows: (i) (I) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, three 155
thousand dollars, and (II) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and 156
each fiscal year thereafter, at least three thousand dollars for each out-157
of-district student who attends school in the receiving district under the 158
program if the number of such out-of-district students is less than two 159
per cent of the total student population of such receiving district plus 160
any amount available pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, 161
(ii) (I) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, four thousand dollars, and 162
(II) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and each fiscal year 163
thereafter, at least four thousand dollars for each out-of-district student 164
who attends school in the receiving district under the program if the 165
number of such out-of-district students is greater than or equal to two 166
per cent but less than three per cent of the total student population of 167
such receiving district plus any amount available pursuant to 168
subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, (iii) (I) for the fiscal year ending 169
June 30, 2024, six thousand dollars, and (II) for the fiscal year ending 170
June 30, 2025, and each fiscal year thereafter, at least six thousand 171
dollars for each out-of-district student who attends school in the 172
receiving district under the program if the number of such out-of-173
district students is greater than or equal to three per cent but less than 174
four per cent of the total student population of such receiving district 175
plus any amount available pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this 176
subdivision, (iv) (I) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, six thousand 177
dollars, and (II) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and each fiscal 178
year thereafter, at least six thousand dollars for each out-of-district 179
student who attends school in the receiving district under the program 180
if the Commissioner of Education determines that the receiving district 181
has an enrollment of greater than four thousand students and has 182
increased the number of students in the program by at least fifty per cent 183
from the previous fiscal year plus any amount available pursuant to 184
subparagraph (B) of this subdivision, or (v) (I) for the fiscal year ending 185
June 30, 2024, eight thousand dollars, and (II) for the fiscal year ending 186
June 30, 2025, and each fiscal year thereafter, at least eight thousand 187
dollars for each out-of-district student who attends school in the 188 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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receiving district under the program if the number of such out-of-189
district students is greater than or equal to four per cent of the total 190
student population of such receiving district plus any amount available 191
pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this subdivision. 192
(B) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, and each fiscal year 193
thereafter, the department shall, in order to assist the state in meeting 194
its obligations under commitment 9B of the Comprehensive School 195
Choice Plan pursuant to the settlement in Sheff v. O'Neill, HHD-X07-196
CV89-4026240-S, provide, within available appropriations, an 197
additional grant to the local or regional board of education for each 198
receiving district in the amount of two thousand dollars for each out-of-199
district student who resides in the Hartford region and attends school 200
in the receiving district under the program. 201
(C) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and each fiscal year 202
thereafter, the local or regional board of education for each receiving 203
district shall include the amount of the grants projected to be received 204
pursuant to this subdivision in such board's annual budget and 205
projected revenue statement. 206
(3) (A) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, the department shall 207
provide a grant to the local or regional board of education for each 208
receiving district described in subdivision (4) of subsection (c) of this 209
section in an amount of four thousand dollars for each out-of-district 210
student who resides in Danbury or Norwalk and attends school in the 211
receiving district under the pilot program. 212
(B) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, and each fiscal year 213
thereafter, the department shall provide an annual grant to the local or 214
regional board of education for each receiving district described in 215
subdivision (4) of subsection (c) of this section for each out-of-district 216
student who resides in Danbury or Norwalk and attends school in the 217
receiving district under the pilot program in accordance with the 218
provisions of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection. 219 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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(C) Not later than January 1, 2025, the department shall submit a 220
report on the pilot program in operation in Danbury and Norwalk, 221
pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (c) of this section, to the joint 222
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 223
matters relating to education and appropriations, in accordance with the 224
provisions of section 11-4a. Such report shall include, but need not be 225
limited to, the total number of students participating in the pilot 226
program, the number of students from each town participating in the 227
pilot program, the total amount of the grant paid under the pilot 228
program and the amount of the grant paid to each town participating in 229
the pilot program. 230
(4) Each town which receives funds pursuant to this subsection shall 231
make such funds available to its local or regional board of education in 232
supplement to any other local appropriation, other state or federal grant 233
or other revenue to which the local or regional board of education is 234
entitled. 235
Sec. 4. (Effective July 1, 2024) (a) The State Board of Education shall 236
study the effectiveness of the method of addressing racial imbalance 237
specified in sections 10-226a to 10-226e, inclusive, of the general statutes 238
and the regulations adopted pursuant to said sections. Such study shall 239
include, but not be limited to, (1) an examination of the effectiveness of 240
various strategies implemented to correct racial imbalances in the long 241
term and short term, (2) a cost benefit analysis of implementing such 242
strategies, (3) the impact on the pupils of racial minorities as a result of 243
such strategies, such as access to neighborhood schools and educational 244
outcomes, and (4) suggestions for alternative methods for correcting 245
racial imbalances. The board shall not enforce any pending or upcoming 246
actions pursuant to said sections of the general statutes and regulations 247
until the completion of such study. 248
(b) Not later than January 1, 2026, the State Board of Education shall 249
submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general 250
statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly 251
having cognizance of matters relating to education a report on the 252 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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findings of the study conducted pursuant to subsection (a) of this 253
section. 254
Sec. 5. Section 10-212g of the general statutes is repealed and the 255
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 256
Not later than December 31, 2014, the Departments of Education and 257
Public Health shall jointly develop, in consultation with the School 258
Nurse Advisory Council, established pursuant to section 10-212f, an 259
annual training program regarding emergency first aid to students who 260
experience allergic reactions and do not have a prior written order of a 261
physician licensed to practice medicine, a dentist licensed to practice 262
dental medicine, an optometrist licensed to practice under chapter 380, 263
an advanced practice registered nurse licensed to prescribe in 264
accordance with section 20-94a or a physician assistant licensed to 265
prescribe in accordance with section 20-12d, and the written 266
authorization of a parent or guardian of such child. Such annual training 267
program shall include instruction in (1) cardiopulmonary resuscitation, 268
(2) first aid, (3) food allergies, (4) the signs and symptoms of 269
anaphylaxis, (5) prevention and risk-reduction strategies regarding 270
allergic reactions, (6) emergency management and administration of 271
epinephrine, (7) follow-up and reporting procedures after a student has 272
experienced an allergic reaction, (8) carrying out the provisions of 273
subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of section 10-212a, and (9) any other 274
relevant issues and topics related to emergency first aid to students who 275
experience allergic reactions. The Department of Education shall make 276
such annual training program available to local and regional boards of 277
education. 278
Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2024) No local or regional board of 279
education shall require a parent or guardian of a student to participate 280
in school activities, such as through volunteering, as a condition for the 281
enrollment of such student in a school under the jurisdiction of such 282
board. 283
Sec. 7. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2024) Each regional community-284 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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technical college shall consult with the school counselors and school 285
administrators at public high schools located within the region of the 286
state in which such college is located for the purpose of establishing 287
collaborative partnerships between such schools and such college. Such 288
partnerships may include, but not be limited to, collaborative 289
counseling programs for students interested in specific careers, 290
evaluation and alignment of curricula and offering support or 291
educational programs to improve student outcomes. 292
Sec. 8. Section 19a-900a of the 2024 supplement to the general statutes 293
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 294
1, 2024): 295
Any provider of child care services, as described in section 19a-77, 296
that is licensed by the Office of Early Childhood [, that] or is exempt 297
from licensure pursuant to subsection (b) of section 19a-77, and 298
maintains a supply of epinephrine cartridge injectors pursuant to 299
section 19a-909, may administer such epinephrine for the purpose of 300
emergency first aid to a child in the care of such provider who 301
experiences an allergic reaction and does not have a prior written 302
authorization of a parent or guardian or a prior written order of a 303
qualified medical professional for the administration of epinephrine, 304
provided the person administering such epinephrine is a person with 305
training, as defined in section 19a-909. The parent or guardian of a child 306
may submit, in writing, to such child's provider of child care services, 307
that epinephrine shall not be administered to such child pursuant to this 308
section. 309
Sec. 9. (NEW) (Effective from passage) Not later than December 31, 310
2024, and each December thirty-first thereafter, the Department of 311
Education shall calculate an estimated amount that each town is entitled 312
to receive under the provisions of section 10-262h of the general statutes, 313
for the next fiscal year using data collected during the current fiscal year, 314
and notify each such town of such estimated amount. 315
Sec. 10. Subsection (h) of section 10-236b of the 2024 supplement to 316 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 317
thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 318
(h) Each local or regional board of education shall notify a parent or 319
guardian of a student who is placed in physical restraint or seclusion 320
[not later than twenty-four hours after] on the day the student was 321
placed in physical restraint or seclusion and shall make a reasonable 322
effort to provide such notification immediately after such physical 323
restraint or seclusion is initiated. Such notice shall, if possible, be 324
provided by means of electronic communication, including, but not 325
limited to, electronic mail or cellular mobile telephone. 326
Sec. 11. Section 10-236c of the general statutes is repealed and the 327
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 328
(a) A school principal or other school administrator shall notify a 329
parent or guardian of a student whose behavior has caused a serious 330
disruption to the instruction of other students, caused self-harm or 331
caused physical harm to a teacher, another student or other school 332
employee on the same day such behavior occurs. Such notice shall 333
include, but not be limited to, informing such parent or guardian that 334
the teacher of record in the classroom in which such behavior occurred 335
may request a behavior intervention meeting, as described in subsection 336
(b) of this section. 337
(b) For the school year commencing July 1, 2022, and each school year 338
thereafter, any teacher of record in a classroom may request a behavior 339
intervention meeting with the crisis intervention team for the school, as 340
described in section 10-236b, as amended by this act, for any student 341
whose behavior has caused a serious disruption to the instruction of 342
other students, or caused self-harm or physical harm to such teacher or 343
another student or staff member in such teacher's classroom. The crisis 344
intervention team shall, upon the request of such teacher and notifying 345
such student's parent or guardian, convene a behavior intervention 346
meeting regarding such student. The participants of such behavior 347
intervention meeting shall identify resources and supports to address 348 Substitute Bill No. 5416
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such student's social, emotional and instructional needs. Not later than 349
seven days after the behavior intervention meeting, the crisis 350
intervention team shall submit to the parent or guardian of such student 351
a written summary of such meeting, including, but not limited to, the 352
resources and supports identified. 353
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2024 10-266aa(c) to (g)
Sec. 4 July 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 5 July 1, 2024 10-212g
Sec. 6 July 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 7 July 1, 2024 New section
Sec. 8 July 1, 2024 19a-900a
Sec. 9 from passage New section
Sec. 10 July 1, 2024 10-236b(h)
Sec. 11 July 1, 2024 10-236c
ED Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP