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Connecticut2026Passed Legislature

SB00138

Changes to Charter Schools, Transportation Grants, School Calendars, and Surrogate Parents

Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 6:19 AM

In one sentence

This law updates rules for who can start charter schools, changes how transportation money is paid out, sets up regional school calendars, and creates a program to assign surrogate parents to foster children in Region 3.

What it does

  • Allows non-profit organizations, colleges, local or regional boards of education, and regional educational service centers to apply for new charter schools while banning private schools and home-school charters.
  • Requires the timing of new charter approvals starting July 1, 2027, to match the state budget preparation schedule.
  • Sets student enrollment limits for state charter schools but allows waivers for schools with a proven record of achievement.
  • Gives priority approval to charter applicants that serve students with low academic performance, behavioral difficulties, special education needs, multilingual learners, or who live in high-poverty areas.
  • Changes how transportation grants are paid to regional centers by requiring financial reviews and splitting payments into three parts based on documentation and review completion.
  • Requires regional educational service centers to create uniform school calendars for local boards to adopt starting July 1, 2017.

Who it affects

  • Organizations applying to open charter schools, including non-profits, colleges, and education boards.
  • Regional educational service centers that manage transportation funds or create school calendars.
  • Local and regional boards of education in towns with struggling schools or those adopting uniform calendars.
  • Foster children living in Region 3 who are selected for the surrogate parent program.

Limits and unknowns

  • The official text cuts off before finishing the details about how surrogate parents are selected or what their specific duties include.
  • Some dates mentioned, such as April 1, 2014, for developing calendars, have already passed.

Plain language

Terms to know

Charter School
A public school that operates under a special contract or charter, which cannot be established by private schools or home-schooling groups.
Regional Educational Service Center
An organization that provides shared services to multiple local school districts and manages transportation grants and regional calendars.
Surrogate Parent
A person appointed by the Commissioner of Education to make educational decisions for a foster child in Region 3 who does not have an available parent.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textOfficial digestCurrent bill textStored full record

Official summary

To implement the recommendations of the Department of Education.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. Signed by the Governor
  2. Transmitted to the Secretary of State
  3. Transmitted by Secretary of the State to Governor
  4. Public Act 26-106LCO
  5. House Adopted Senate Amendment Schedule A
  6. House Passed as Amended by Senate Amendment Schedule A
  7. In Concurrence
  8. Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, House
  9. House Calendar Number 547
  10. Senate Adopted Senate Amendment Schedule A 4643
  11. Senate Passed as Amended by Senate Amendment Schedule A
  12. Rules Suspended, Transmitted to the House
  13. Reported Out of Legislative Commissioners' OfficeLCO
  14. Favorable Report, Tabled for the Calendar, Senate
  15. Senate Calendar Number 305
  16. File Number 493LCO
  17. Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/07/26 5:00 PMLCO
  18. Referred to Office of Legislative Research and Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/07/26 5:00 PMLCO
  19. Filed with Legislative Commissioners' OfficeLCO
  20. Joint Favorable SubstituteED