Sec. 10-226h. Programs and methods to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation.
               	 		
      Sec. 10-226h. Programs and methods to reduce racial, ethnic and economic 
isolation. (a) A local or regional board of education for purposes of subdivision (3) of 
section 10-4a, may offer such programs or use such methods as: (1) Interdistrict magnet 
school programs; (2) charter schools; (3) interdistrict after-school, Saturday and summer 
programs and sister-school projects; (4) intradistrict and interdistrict public school 
choice programs; (5) interdistrict school building projects; (6) interdistrict program collaboratives for students and staff; (7) distance learning through the use of technology; 
and (8) any other experience that increases awareness of the diversity of individuals 
and cultures.
      (b) Each local and regional board of education shall report by July 1, 2000, and 
biennially thereafter, to the regional educational service center for its area on the programs and activities undertaken in its school district to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation, including (1) information on the number and duration of such programs 
and activities and the number of students and staff involved, and (2) evidence of the 
progress over time in the reduction of racial, ethnic and economic isolation.
      (c) Each regional educational service center shall report by October 1, 2000, and 
biennially thereafter, to the Commissioner of Education on the programs and activities 
undertaken in its region to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation.
      (d) The Commissioner of Education shall report, by January 1, 1999, and biennially 
thereafter, in accordance with section 10-4a, to the Governor and the General Assembly 
on activities and programs designed to reduce racial, ethnic and economic isolation. 
The report shall include statistics on any growth in such programs or expansion of such 
activities over time, an analysis of the success of such programs and activities in reducing 
racial, ethnic and economic isolation, a recommendation for any statutory changes that 
would assist in the expansion of such programs and activities and the sufficiency of the 
annual grant pursuant to subsection (e) of section 10-266aa and whether additional 
financial incentives would improve the program established pursuant to section 10-266aa.
      (P.A. 97-290, S. 2, 29; P.A. 98-252, S. 14, 80; P.A. 00-220, S. 11, 43.)
      History: P.A. 97-290 effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-252 deleted Subsec. (a)(7) re minority staff recruitment and 
renumbered the remaining Subdivs., effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 00-220 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to change the 
reporting dates and amended Subsec. (d) to make a technical change, effective July 1, 2000.
      See Sec. 10-220(a) re required development and implementation of plan for minority staff recruitment.