• What is the difference between partner and non-partner districts?


    Partner districts are specific school districts that have chosen to partner with ACES for its magnet schools, and to place and pay partial tuition for a specified number of students each year. If those seats are not filled, the schools then make those seats available to the ACES Magnet School Parent Choice Program for students from non-partner districts (any other district in the state).

    Partner districts for Thomas Edison Middle School (TEMS)

    • Meriden
    • Middletown

    Partner districts for Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School (WIMS)

    • New Haven
  • If I live in a partner district, how can I get an application for my child/student to attend TEMS or WIMS?


    Partner districts conduct their own application and lottery process (usually between January and March), and they give ACES the names of students to be enrolled. Parents must contact the Board of Education within their own district for an application.

  • If I live in a non-partner district (any besides the above), how can I get an application for my child/student?


    Click here to complete the online application. If you are having trouble completing the application, please contact Lynn Bailey at lbailey@aces.org or (203) 498-6843.

  • Is transportation provided for the ACES Magnet School Parent Choice Program for non-partner district students?


    No. Families must provide their own transportation under this program. The families are eligible to receive a $5.00 per day transportation subsidy. A form will need to be completed and the schools will confirm the student attendance. Parents will be paid in February and late June.

  • Is there a lottery for the ACES Magnet School Parent Choice Program? Can I apply for more than one lottery?


    Yes. Names of students from non-partner districts are entered in an ACES Magnet School Parent Choice lottery and placed by number in available seats. Yes, families can apply for lotteries for other programs (ACES Open CHOICE, New Haven and Hartford Magnet Schools). Families can apply for multiple lotteries, based on eligibility.

  • If my student/child has an IEP, can he/she still apply to this program?


    Yes. Students are selected through a blind lottery. Families with children with special needs will review the services available in the new school, and Planning and Placement Team meetings (PPTs) will be held for students who require Special Education services. These meetings and the IEPs are managed collaboratively by the sending school district staff and the magnet school staff.

  • In the ACES Magnet School Parent Choice lottery, do siblings get preference? Is there a wait list? How does it work?


    Yes, there is sibling preference. This means that a new applicant who has a sibling in the school will be placed in the first lottery that enrolls students in numerical order in available seats in each magnet school. The rest of the applicants will be placed in a second lottery and placed in the remaining available seats in lowest order number.

    If an applicant has one or more siblings applying at the same time, all siblings will be given sequential lottery numbers, once the first name is selected. Students will be placed in available seats and the rest will be placed in numerical order on a wait list.

    Yes, there is a wait list. After applicants are selected randomly and given numbers based on the order of their selection, they are placed in available seats at TEMS or WIMS. The rest are given a wait list number, based on the order of their selection. Students are offered seats which may come available.

    Letters will be sent to all families by mail in January 2020 of their students' enrollment or number on the wait list. Families of enrolled students will receive an enrollment form to sign and return stating their acceptance or rejection of the placement.

  • Do I need to re-apply every year?


    No. If students are enrolled, they do not have to re-apply. Students are able to stay in the same school every year. A verification form will be sent to families in early April to confirm that your child will be returning/not returning for the following school year. If students are not enrolled, families need to reapply in the next year.

  • Where do students go after 8th grade?


    They return to their home school districts. Parents can apply for lotteries for High School placements (New Haven, ACES Open Choice, Hartford, Charter Schools).

  • If I/my family moves to another district/town, how does that affect my child's enrollment status?


    • If you move out of a district/town that is a partner district, you can apply for the ACES Magnet School Parent Choice program for the current year, and your child will remain at the school as a transfer student.
    • If you live in a non-partner district and you move to a partner district, your child may remain at Thomas Edison Middle School (TEMS) or Wintergreen Interdistrict Magnet School (WIMS) if the district has space available (availability is not guaranteed). You must register your child in the new district.
  • Who pays tuition for the students?


    The CT State Department of Education (with funds appropriated by the CT State Legislature) pays part of the tuition. Home school districts/towns pay the balance of the tuition.

  • What is the deadline for applications for 2020-21?


    The deadline for applications from students from non-partner school districts is December 30, 2019 at 3:30 p.m.