On October 27, 2014, the Office of Legislative Research (OLR) published a report comparing four school classifications including:  charter schools, interdistrict magnet schools, regional agricultural science and technology education centers (“agri-science centers”), and technical high schools. In addition to providing the definition of charter, interdistrict magnet, agri-science centers and technical high schools, the report sets forth the eligible and ineligible operators for each classification.  For example, a charter school is the only type of school in the report that can be operated by “any person, association, corporation, organization or other entity.”  However, all school types, excluding technical high schools, may be operated by a local or regional board of education.  Technical High Schools are operated by the State Board of Education and the Technical High School System (THSS) Board. The OLR report contains a number of other useful items, including:

  1. program requirements for each classification of school;
  2. the entities responsible for granting approval to open each classification of school;
  3. the considerations in determining approval (if any) for each classification of school;
  4. additional approval factors (if any) for each classification of school;
  5. the approval process (if any) for each classification of school;
  6. approval limits (if any) for each classification of school;
  7. enrollment minimums or limits (if any) for each classification of school;
  8. student admission criteria for each classification of school;
  9. special education provisions applicable to each classification of school;
  10. student transportation responsibilities for each classification of school;
  11. transportation funding provisions related to each classification of school;
  12. school construction funding provisions related to each classification of school;
  13. operating expense funding related to each classification of school; and
  14. the evaluation process for each classification of school.

The report is a useful guide if you are looking for a quick reference to answer questions related to charter schools, interdistrict magnet schools, regional agri-science centers, or technical high schools.  While the report will not answer every question related to these schools, it may be a good place to begin your search for an answer.  Significantly, the report also includes statutory references related to each type of school.  Reviewing the actual statutory language may help to clarify, or further explain what is represented in the report.  You can read the report in its entirety here.