1. (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 September 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, as defined in section 46a-51, color, sex, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability; provided a child who has not reached the age of five on or before the first day of September of the school year may be admitted (1) upon a written request by the parent or guardian of such child to the principal of the school in which such child would be enrolled, and (2) following an assessment of such child, conducted by such principal and an appropriate certified staff member of the school, to ensure that admitting such child is developmentally appropriate.
2. (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; P.A. 11-55, S. 8; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2, S. 405; P.A. 23-159, S. 3; 23-208, S. 1.)

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; P.A. 11-55 amended Subsec. (a) to prohibit discrimination on account of gender identity or expression; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 21-2 amended Subsec. (a) by adding “as defined in section 46a-51,” to provision re race, adding “or disability”, and making a conforming change, effective June 23, 2021; P.A. 23-159 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “January” with “September”, effective July 1, 2024; P.A. 23-208 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provision re boards of education may admit any school children under 5 years of age by vote at a meeting duly called and adding provision re child who has not reached the age of 5 on or before the first day of September may be admitted upon written request of a parent to the principal of the school and following an assessment of such child to ensure admitting such child is developmentally appropriate, effective July 1, 2024.