ports of entry; procedures;
reports
W/D |
Committee on Transportation |
|
|
DPA |
Committee on Government Reform |
|
|
X |
Caucus and COW |
|
|
|
As Passed the House |
|
SB 1302 was amended in the Government Reform Committee with a strike everything amendment as follows:
The strike-everything amendment to SB 1302 makes numerous changes to charter school statutes.
Provisions:
· Requires an applicant seeking to establish a charter school and an application for renewal of a charter to submit a detailed business plan.
· Prevents school districts from sponsoring charter schools located outside the geographic boundaries of the school district. Grandfathers those charter schools sponsored prior to July 1, 2000 if the school district is in compliance with the USFR.
· Prevents school districts from sponsoring new or transferring charter schools if the school district has been determined to be out of compliance with the Uniform System of Financial Records (USFR) during either of the two previous fiscal years.
· Requires the state boards to accept any sponsorship transfers from school districts determined to be out of compliance with the USFR, but allows the boards to require the applicant to sign a charter equivalent to that awarded by the former sponsor. Allows the State Board of Education and the State Board for Charter Schools to accept any other charters being transferred. Eliminates limits on the number of charter schools that may be approved by the state boards.
· In the event the operation of a charter school is transferred to another sponsor, continues the charter for the remaining length of the charter. Current law specifies that charters are valid for 15 years; if a charter is transferred during this time frame, the 15-year period begins anew.
· Creates a process, retroactive to June 30, 2000, for school districts that sponsor charter schools and that are determined to be out of compliance with the USFR:
a) States that a school district shall notify each charter school sponsored by the district by certified mail within 15 days if the school district is determined to be out of compliance with the USFR. The notification must declare that if the school district is found to be out of compliance for a second consecutive year, the charter school shall transfer sponsorship to another entity.
b) In the event a school district is found to be out of compliance with the USFR for a second consecutive year, the bill requires the charter school to apply for transfer of sponsorship to the State Board of Education, the State Board for Charter Schools or the school district governing board (if the charter school is located within the geographic boundaries of the school district) within 45 days of notification that the school district is out of compliance with the USFR. The charter school may be granted an extension of 30 days for good cause.
c) Creates a special process for charter schools sponsored by school districts that are determined to be out of compliance with the USFR for FY 1999-2000.
· Requires the State Board of Education to withhold up to ten percent of a charter school’s state aid if the sponsor determines that the charter school is not in compliance with federal law, state law or its charter. Requires a public hearing and specifies a process by which the charter school can return to compliance.
· Requires charter schools and school districts to keep on file the resumes of all current and former employees who provide instruction to pupils and specifies the content. Parents and guardians must be informed of the availability of the information.
· Removes current statute that exempts a governing board, its agents and employees from liability for acts or omissions of a charter school sponsored by the school district.
· Removes individual members, officers and employees of state boards sponsoring charter schools from statute related to personal liability immunity and strikes current limitation of the state boards’ immunity to public meetings.
· Requires the operator of a charter school to conduct a public hearing at least 30 days before a site is opened if the charter school is not already subject to a municipal hearing. Public meeting notices must be posted by the operator in at least three different places located within 300 feet of the proposed site.
· Removes the current schedule of state aid apportionment and requires monies to be distributed to charter schools in twelve equal installments during the fiscal year.
· Removes operational decisions as a responsibility of the charter school governing body. Current law requires a charter to provide for a governing body of the charter school that oversees policy and operational decisions of the charter school.
· Makes technical and conforming changes.
SB 1302 was further
amended in the Government Reform Committee as follows:
·
Requires the State Board of Education to restore a
charter schools full amount of state aid if they come into compliance after
having monies withheld.
·
Outlines the process for calculating a charter schools
transportation revenue control limits.
·
Requires the Attorney General’s Office to notify the
sponsor of a charter school when they begin a criminal or civil investigation
of any officers or employees of the charter school relating to the operation of
the school or any violations of the provisions of the charter. The Attorney General is required to provide
monthly progress reports on any investigation and all information provided by
the Attorney General is confidential except if necessary to permit the sponsor
to enforce the provision of a contract or the charter. A violation is a class 2 misdemeanor.
·
Makes technical and conforming changes.