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Hartford Region Open Choice Program Turns 50

(Hartford, CT) For 50 years, the Hartford Region Open Choice Program has helped to reduce the racial isolation of Hartford and suburban students, while ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality, integrated education.

The program began in 1966 during the civil rights movement as Project Concern and was managed by the Hartford Board of Education. It became the statewide Open Choice program in 1997 after the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in the Sheff vs. O’Neill case that “students in Hartford suffer daily from the devastating effects that racial and ethnic isolation, as well as poverty, have on their education.” The Sheff vs. O’Neill decision charged that Connecticut’s system of separate city and suburban school districts led to racially segregated schools and was a violation of Hartford children’s rights to equal opportunity.

The Hartford Region Open Choice Program, alongside magnet schools and other regional programs, is a key part of the strategy to address the endemic segregation between Connecticut’s small communities. The Open Choice program allows children who live in Hartford to attend suburban schools and students who live in suburban communities to attend school in Hartford.

When the program began, there was not universal support for integration, and many community members were not in favor of allowing students to access educational opportunities across district lines.

“Fifty years ago, it took a lot of courage to make change happen,” said CREC Executive Director Greg Florio. “Change usually requires a lot of courage.”

In 1966, the five districts of Farmington, Manchester, Simsbury, South Windsor, and West Hartford, took the first courageous steps to establish the program in partnership with community leaders and parents. In the first school year, the five founding districts offered 252 seats to Hartford students in their local public schools.

At the time, and in the years since, the school districts fought to overcome challenges, such as the negative perceptions that some suburban, white families held about Hartford students and families of color. But the program continued to grow, and as communities began to see the benefits and the results, new districts signed on to participate.

Today, the program is managed by CREC, an agency that is also celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and there are 28 participating districts that serves nearly 2,300 students. The program is nationally recognized as a model for interdistrict cooperation and for breaking down racial barriers.

“We need to celebrate that success,” said Donald F. Harris, Jr., chairman of the CREC Council.

The Open Choice program kicked off its year of celebration Tuesday with a legislative reception at the Capitol in Hartford. During the event, it recognized the program’s founding districts and their commitment to the program.

“Racially integrated schools provide many benefits for all students including cross-racial understanding, reduced racial prejudice, improved critical thinking, and academic achievement,” said Charlene Russell-Tucker, chief operating officer for the Connecticut State Department of Education. “To ensure the program continues to thrive, we know that it’s critical for our Open Choice districts to have purposeful conversations about what it means to be an Open Choice school community.

Florio acknowledged the State Department of Education and the Connecticut state legislature for providing crucial support for the Open Choice program. “We thank those who helped to advocate for the program, because without your efforts to find funding, it would not have been possible to serve the thousands of students who have benefitted.”

A second celebration for students, alumni, and supporters of the program will be held this summer, and the program is working to reconnect with its nearly 4,500 alumni through its website: www.crec.org/choice.

While 2016 is a year of joy and reflection for both Open Choice and CREC, it is also an opportunity to prepare for the future. While progress has been made, more needs to be done. It has been 20 years since the Sheff vs. O’Neill ruling, and the state has fallen short on its goal to substantially increase the number of students enrolled in the program. One-third of the suburban districts enroll fewer than 2 percent of their students from Hartford, while the program’s target for districts is to enroll more than 4 percent. CREC is working with partners to identify ways to increase participation while ensuring success for students and improving the reputation of the program within communities.

In towns like West Hartford, the conversation has shifted over the past 50 years. It is no longer about determining the benefits of an integrated education for minority or non-minority students, but about the rich benefits of an integrated education for all students.

“Over the past 50 years, West Hartford feels fortunate to have supported, nurtured, and educated hundreds of students from Hartford, and we look forward to impacting the lives of so many more,” said Tom Moore, Superintendent of West Hartford Public Schools.

The results of the Open Choice program are inspiring, Florio said, explaining that the program has changed and developed, but remains true to its mission.