ACES
OPEN CHOICE
Open Choice Contacts
Tim Howes– Assistant Executive Director of
Finance & Operations
(203) 498-6838
Email: [email protected]
Lynn Bailey – Open Choice Coordinator
(203) 498-6843
Email: [email protected]
Melissa Alers– Family School Liaison
(203) 498-6845
Email: [email protected]
Fax : (203) 498-6891
www.aces.org
Open Choice Program
ACES Open Choice was established through state legislation for suburban
students to attend schools in New Haven and for New Haven students to
attend schools in the suburbs.
The goals of Open Choice are to reduce racial, ethnic and economic
isolation and to increase academic achievement. Families in the Greater
New Haven area are given opportunities to enroll their children in
schools with available openings in a variety of grade levels. ACES is one
of three Regional Educational Service Centers that oversees this effort in
Connecticut.
ACES collects data on available seats in our area, manages the application
and selection process, manages the transportation of those selected
students, and works to support the students, families, teachers and
administrators who participate in the program.
Open Choice Staff Roles
Coordinator
LYNN BAILEY
• Applications and
enrollments
• Transportation
• After school activities (HS)
• Lottery
• Verifications / Information
updates
Family/School Liaison
MELISSA ALERS
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Home visits
School visits
Attend PPT meetings
Foster communication
students / families / schools
• Track student success
Open Choice Staff Roles
Assistant Executive
Director of Finance &
Operations
Tim Howes
• Administrator of Open
Choice Program
• Financial management and
disbursement of state Open
Choice funds
Open Choice Program
The following school districts participate in the ACES Open Choice
program:
Ansonia
New Haven
Bethany
North Branford
Branford
North Haven
Cheshire
Orange
East Haven
Reg. Dist. #5
Hamden
Wallingford
Milford
Woodbridge
Suburban parents from any Connecticut district may apply to send
students to available seats in New Haven schools. However,
transportation is provided only from the following districts for
grades K-12. Pre-K students have to be transported by
parents/guardians. Transportation to New Haven Public Schools is
available free of charge for students who live in the following towns:
Amity
Cheshire
Regional
Ansonia
Clinton
Beacon Falls Derby
East
Bethany
Haven
Branford
Guilford
Madison
Milford
North
Haven
Orange
Oxford
Wallingford
West Haven
Naugatuck
Seymour
Wolcott
North
Branford
Shelton
Woodbridge
Hamden
Stratford
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Open Choice Timeline
Districts report available seats
Flyers for applications designed & sent to printers
Online application available
Flyers delivered to school districts
Application Deadline
Blind lottery of all qualified applicants
Initial placements made
Notifications mailed to families of potential placement
Parent deadline to accept/reject placement
Student lists (for students who accept placement by
April 24th) sent to home districts to transfer
Academic / Medical / Sp. Ed. Records
District lists sent to superintendents & principals
Records for new Choice students (for students who
Accepted placement by April 29th) received from home
Districts and delivered to the receiving schools
by February 1st
by March 1st
by March 1st
by March 9th & 10th
April 11th at 3:30 P.M.
on or about April 13th
by April 14th
by April 18th
by April 29th
by May 6th
by May 6th
on or about June 27th
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Placement of additional students – ongoing from
April 29th – October 1st (upon remaining slots)
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Request for and delivery of records for additional
students will be ongoing from April 29th – October 1st

ACES – Open Choice will make requests for student records and will continue to
seek records throughout the summer for late placements.
Open Choice Application
• Apply at:
aceschoicelottery.org
Open March 1, 2016
FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
1.
How do you get your openings?
2.
What’s the application process?
3.
Do I have to reapply every year?
4.
Can we apply to open choice, magnet, charter and private schools at
the same time?
5.
Does Open Choice have sibling preference?
6.
What happens if my child is retained or doesn’t have enough credits?
7.
What happens if we move to another city/town?
Open Choice
Impact on Families
• Transportation-long bus rides
• Participation in school activities/meetings
• Student self esteem
• Racial and cultural diversity
• Student goals (college prep)
• ACES program support
OPEN CHOICE OUTCOMES
• STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
• STUDENT AND FAMILY
SATISFACTION
• FRIENDSHIPS
• SPORTS/CLUBS
• OVERCOMING STEREOTYPES
• COLLEGE
Questions?