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2000 SESSION

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HB 785 Charter schools.

Introduced by: Paul Clinton Harris, Sr. | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles | history

SUMMARY AS PASSED:

Charter schools. Clarifies that school divisions may authorize the creation of regional charter schools to be operated and chartered by two or more participating school boards and emphasizes that charter schools are public schools. This bill also clarifies that charter schools, as public schools, are subject to the requirements of the Standards of Quality, including the Standards of Learning and the Standards of Accreditation and directs each local school board to provide public notice by December 31, 2000, of its intent to accept or not to accept applications for charter schools. The requirement that no more than two charter schools per school division be approved prior to July 1, 2000, has been deleted. Finally, the bill provides that charter schools will not be reported in fall membership for purposes of calculating the state and local shares required to fund the Standards of Quality if the enrollment at the charter school is less than 100 students and constitutes less than five percent of the total enrollment of the relevant grades in that school division. This bill is identical to SB 411.

SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE:

Charter schools. Clarifies that charter schools, as public schools, shall be subject to the requirements of the Standards of Quality, including the Standards of Learning and the Standards of Accreditation and directs each local school board to provide public notice by December 31, 2000, of its intent to accept or not to accept applications for charter schools.

The measure deletes the outdated requirement that no more than two charter schools per school division be approved prior to July 1, 2000.

Finally, the measure provides that charter schools shall not be reported in fall membership for purposes of calculating the state and local shares required to fund the Standards of Quality if the enrollment at the charter school is less than 100 students and constitutes less than five percent of the total enrollment of the relevant grades in that school division.

SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED:

Charter schools. Authorizes the creation of regional charter schools, operated by two or more school boards, which may be chartered directly by the participating school boards or by the Board of Education with the concurrence of the participating school boards. The Board shall establish procedures for receiving and reviewing applications, seeking public comment, and obtaining the concurrence of participating school boards for regional schools to be chartered by the Board. Any such regional charter schools shall be operated by the participating school boards.

In addition, the measure permits judicial review of a school board's denial of a charter application revocation or denial of renewal of a charter. Under current law, the local school board's decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

The measure also clarifies that charter schools, as public schools, shall be subject to the requirements of the Standards of Quality, including the Standards of Learning and the Standards of Accreditation and directs each local school board to provide public notice by December 31, 2000, of its intent to accept or not to accept applications for charter schools.

The measure deletes the outdated requirement that no more than two charter schools per school division be approved prior to July 1, 2000.

Finally, the measure provides that charter schools shall not be reported in fall membership for purposes of calculating the state and local shares required to fund the Standards of Quality if the enrollment at the charter school is less than 100 students and constitutes less than five percent of the total enrollment of the relevant grades in that school division.