Connecticut State Department of Education

Open Choice - Non-Hartford Residents - Placement Offer

Open Choice Placement Offer (Non-Hartford Resident)

If your child receives a placement offer to one of the RSCO Open Choice schools, we hope you choose to Accept! This is an amazing educational opportunity available to your child.  

Things You Need to Know!

1. How do I respond? To respond to your child's placement offer:

  • Go to Your Dashboard and download your notification letter from the Documents section under Tools
  • Select 
    1. View Offer on the school card
    2. View Offer on the Open Choice Application Card
    3. Accept or Decline by the deadline on your child's Open Choice application and notification letter.
  • Have questions? We are happy to help:

2. Can I schedule a school tour or a way to talk to teachers, educators and currently enrolled families? Yes, contact the school/program, let them know what you are interested in and they can help you! 

3. How much time do I have to make my decision? You must respond by the deadline in your placement notification to accept your child's placement for the 2023-24 school year. You can find the response deadline by logging-in to your RSCO Account and downloading your placement letter from the Documents section on your Dashboard. The response deadline is also listed on the offer page. We understand that this is a big decision for your family and want to provide you with the time and information you need to make the best decision for your family.  We hope you accept!

4. What does it mean to accept my child’s Open Choice placement offer?  When you accept your child’s placement offer, you have decided to have your child attend an Open Choice school for the 2023-24 school year.  By accepting the placement offer, your child is not eligible to receive another magnet or Open Choice offer for the 2023-24 school year.

There are a few more steps that you will need to complete after you accept your placement offer. 

Step 1: Go to the Hartford Public Schools (HPS) Registration Portal to complete the first step of HPS Open Choice registration. If you have difficulty with the registration process, please email Jimena Stevenson. 

Step 2: After you complete the HPS registration process, you will receive an email from CREC within five business days to begin step two. If you do not receive an email, please contact the Open Choice Office by email or telephone at 860-509-3700. 

Important Notes to keep in mind:

  • It is important to start the two-step registration process immediately and complete it within the timeframe provided by the HPS district and CREC to maintain your placement and be routed for transportation. 
  • Failure to register by the school's registration deadline will result in the removal of your child's placement offer.

Step 3: Report your Placement to your home district - After you complete your registration, contact your local/school district to report you have accepted a placement offer with the Open Choice Program and will not be attending a school in your local school district for the 2023-24 school year. 

You must complete the registration process by the registration deadline in order to keep your child's seat. 

Once you completed registration and your child is enrolled at your Open Choice school, you do not need to reapply each year to continue in the school. Unless you withdraw your child, they will remain enrolled until they reach the school's final grade. To enroll in any other Magnet, Hartford Region CTECS (technical high school), or Open Choice school, a RSCO application must be submitted.

5. What does it mean to decline this placement offer? We hope you choose to accept this placement offer; however, we also understand that interests and circumstances change. If you decide that you do not want your child to attend the Open Choice school in your placement notification, select Decline on your child's Open Choice application. By selecting Decline, your child’s application is removed from the applicant pool for the 2023-24 school year and they will not be sent another placement offer for a magnet school or Open Choice school. In other words, this means that you child’s application will not be on a waitlist for any other school or program that was selected on your application for the 2023-24 school year.

6. This school isn't my first choice, will I get another offer? No, unfortunately you will not receive another placement offer for the 2023-24 school year. If you are uncertain or are considering declining this placement offer, we encourage you to access your RSCO Account and visit the school card, which has details about the school or participate in a school event to learn more about the school first-hand to see if this school is a fit for your child!

7. I decided I do not want my child to go to the school in the placement notification; will my child’s application be put on the waitlist if I decline or do not respond? If you are uncertain or are considering declining this placement offer, we encourage you to access your RSCO Account and visit the school card, which has details about the school or participate in a school event to learn more about the school first-hand to see if this school is a fit for your child! Whether you accept or decline the placement offer, your child’s application will be removed from the application pool for the 2023-24 school year and they will not be eligible for another placement offer for a magnet school or Open Choice school.  In other words, this means that you child’s name will not be on a waitlist for any other school or program that was selected on your application for the 2023-24 school year. 

9. Do you have a different question or are you looking for something and could not find it? We are here to help you. Contact us in the way that works best for you: