Sec. 10-15c. Discrimination in public schools prohibited. School attendance by five-year-olds.
Sec. 10-15c. Discrimination in public schools prohibited. School attendance
by five-year-olds. (a) The public schools shall be open to all children five years of age
and over who reach age five on or before the first day of January of any school year,
and each such child shall have, and shall be so advised by the appropriate school authorities, an equal opportunity to participate in the activities, programs and courses of study
offered in such public schools, at such time as the child becomes eligible to participate
in such activities, programs and courses of study, without discrimination on account
of race, color, sex, religion, national origin or sexual orientation; provided boards of
education may, by vote at a meeting duly called, admit to any school children under
five years of age.
(b) Nothing in subsection (a) of this section shall be deemed to amend other provisions of the general statutes with respect to curricula, facilities or extracurricular activities.
(P.A. 78-218, S. 10; P.A. 79-128, S. 12, 36; P.A. 80-405, S. 1, 4; P.A. 81-472, S. 10, 159; P.A. 88-360, S. 3, 63; P.A.
97-247, S. 6, 27.)
History: P.A. 79-128 required equal opportunity to participate in activities, programs and courses of study, deleting
former possible limitation of equal opportunity, i.e. "within the limits of existing expenditures in any one school year";
P.A. 80-405 required school authorities to advise children of opportunities available when they are eligible to participate;
P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 88-360 substituted the provision that public schools be open to all children
"who reach age five on or before the first day of January of any school year" for the provision that boards of education
"may exclude children who will not attain the age of five years until after the first day of January of any school year"; P.A.
97-247 designated the existing section as Subsec. (a), added "sexual orientation" and added Subsec. (b), effective July
1, 1997.
Cited. 187 C. 187. Cited. 195 C. 24. Cited. 238 C. 1.