2004 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1361 – Charter schools, articles of incorp

SENATE BILL NO. 1361

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Bill Status



S1361..........................................................by EDUCATION
CHARTER SCHOOLS - Amends existing law to require that each petition
submitted to convert an existing school or to establish a new charter
school shall contain a copy of the articles of incorporation and bylaws of
the nonprofit corporation.
                                                                        
02/16    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/17    Rpt prt - to Educ
02/26    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/27    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/03    3rd rdg - PASSED - 27-8-0
      AYES -- Andreason, Bunderson, Burkett, Burtenshaw, Calabretta,
      Compton(Duncan), Darrington, Davis, Gannon, Goedde, Hill, Ingram,
      Kennedy, Little, Lodge, Malepeai, Marley, McKenzie, McWilliams, Noh,
      Richardson, Schroeder, Sorensen, Stegner, Stennett, Werk, Williams
      NAYS -- Bailey, Brandt, Cameron, Geddes, Keough, Noble(Anderson),
      Pearce, Sweet
      Absent and excused -- None
    Floor Sponsor - Andreason
    Title apvd - to House
03/04    House intro - 1st rdg - to Educ
03/19    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/20    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
    Rls susp - PASSED - 58-0-12
      AYES -- Andersen, Barraclough, Barrett, Bayer, Bedke, Bell, Black,
      Block, Boe, Bolz, Bradford, Campbell, Cannon, Collins, Crow, Cuddy,
      Douglas, Edmunson, Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(18), Field(23),
      Garrett, Henbest, Jaquet, Jones, Kellogg, Kulczyk, Lake, Langford,
      Langhorst, Martinez, McGeachin, McKague, Miller, Mitchell, Moyle,
      Naccarato, Nielsen, Pasley-Stuart, Raybould, Ring, Ringo, Robison,
      Rydalch, Sali, Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd, Shirley, Skippen,
      Smith(30), Smylie, Snodgrass, Stevenson, Wills, Wood, Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Bauer, Clark, Deal, Denney, Eberle, Gagner,
      Harwood, Meyer, Ridinger, Roberts, Smith(24), Trail
    Floor Sponsor - Cannon
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/20    To enrol
03/22    Rpt enrol - Pres signed
03/22    Sp signed - To Governor
04/02    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 375
         Effective: 07/01/04

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-seventh Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 2004
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                       IN THE SENATE
                                                                        
                                    SENATE BILL NO. 1361
                                                                        
                                   BY EDUCATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS; AMENDING SECTION 33-5205, IDAHO  CODE,  TO
  3        REQUIRE  THAT  EACH PETITION SUBMITTED TO CONVERT AN EXISTING SCHOOL OR TO
  4        ESTABLISH A NEW CHARTER SCHOOL SHALL CONTAIN A COPY  OF  THE  ARTICLES  OF
  5        INCORPORATION AND THE BYLAWS OF THE NONPROFIT CORPORATION.
                                                                        
  6    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  7        SECTION  1.  That  Section 33-5205, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
  8    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
  9        33-5205.  PETITION TO ESTABLISH CHARTER SCHOOL. (1) Any person may request
 10    the board of trustees of a school district to establish a charter  school,  or
 11    to  convert an existing school within the school district to charter status. A
 12    petition to convert an existing school shall be  submitted  to  the  board  of
 13    trustees  of the district for review after the petition has been signed by not
 14    less than sixty percent (60%) of the teachers currently employed by the school
 15    district at the school to be converted, and by one  (1)  or  more  parents  or
 16    guardians  of  not  less  than  sixty  percent (60%) of the students currently
 17    attending the school to be converted. A petition to establish  a  new  charter
 18    school  shall be submitted to the board of trustees of the district for review
 19    after the petition has been signed by not  less  than  thirty  (30)  qualified
 20    electors  of  the  district.  Each  petition  submitted to convert an existing
 21    school or to establish a new charter school shall contain a copy of the  arti-
 22    cles of incorporation and the bylaws of the nonprofit corporation, which shall
 23    be deemed incorporated into the petition.
 24        (2)  Not  later than thirty (30) days after receiving a petition signed in
 25    accordance with the specifications in subsection  (1)  of  this  section,  the
 26    board  of  trustees shall hold a meeting open to the public for the purpose of
 27    discussing the provisions of the charter, at which time the board  shall  con-
 28    sider  the  merits of the petition and the level of employee and parental sup-
 29    port for the petition. Following review of the petition and the  public  hear-
 30    ing, the board of trustees shall either grant or deny the charter within sixty
 31    (60)  days  of receipt of the petition, provided however, that the date may be
 32    extended by an additional sixty (60) days if the petition fails  to  meet  the
 33    signature  requirements or fails to contain all of the information required in
 34    this section, or if both parties agree to the extension.
 35        (3)  A board of trustees may grant a charter for  operation  of  a  school
 36    under  the  provisions of this chapter if it determines that the petition con-
 37    tains the number of signatures required, a statement of each of the conditions
 38    described in subsection (4) of this section, and descriptions of  all  of  the
 39    following:
 40        (a)  The  educational  program of the charter school, designed among other
 41        things, to identify what it means  to  be  an  "educated  person"  in  the
 42        twenty-first  century,  and how learning best occurs. The goals identified
 43        in the program shall include how all educational thoroughness standards as
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1        defined in section 33-1612, Idaho Code, shall be fulfilled.
  2        (b)  The measurable student educational standards identified  for  use  by
  3        the  charter  school.  "Student  educational standards" for the purpose of
  4        this chapter means the extent to which all students of the charter  school
  5        demonstrate they have attained the skills and knowledge specified as goals
  6        in the school's educational program.
  7        (c)  The  method by which student progress in meeting those student educa-
  8        tional standards is to be measured.
  9        (d)  A provision by which students of the charter school  will  be  tested
 10        with the same standardized tests as other Idaho public school students.
 11        (e)  A  provision  which  ensures  that  the charter school shall be state
 12        accredited as provided by rule of the state board of education.
 13        (f)  The governance structure of the charter  school  including,  but  not
 14        limited  to, the person or entity who shall be legally accountable for the
 15        operation of the school, and the process to be  followed  by  the  charter
 16        school to ensure parental involvement.
 17        (g)  The  qualifications  to be met by individuals employed by the charter
 18        school. Instructional staff shall be certified teachers, or may apply  for
 19        a  waiver  or any of the limited certification options as provided by rule
 20        of the state board of education.
 21        (h)  The procedures that the charter school  will  follow  to  ensure  the
 22        health and safety of students and staff.
 23        (i)  Admission procedures, including provision for overenrollment. Initial
 24        admission  procedures  for  a new charter school, not a renewal, including
 25        provision for overenrollment, which specifies admission will be determined
 26        by lottery or other random method. If initial capacity is insufficient  to
 27        enroll  all  pupils  who  submit a timely application, preference shall be
 28        given in the  following  order:  first,  to  siblings  of  pupils  already
 29        selected  by  the lottery or other random method; and second, an equitable
 30        selection process such as by lottery or other random method.  If  capacity
 31        is insufficient to enroll all pupils for subsequent school terms, who sub-
 32        mit  a  timely  application,  preference  shall  be given in the following
 33        order: first, to pupils returning to the charter school in the  second  or
 34        any  subsequent  year  of  its  operation;  second,  to siblings of pupils
 35        already enrolled in the charter school; and third, an equitable  selection
 36        process such as by lottery or other random method.
 37        (j)  The manner in which an annual audit of the financial and programmatic
 38        operations of the charter school is to be conducted.
 39        (k)  The  procedures  by  which  students  can  be suspended, expelled and
 40        reenrolled.
 41        (l)  A provision which ensures all staff members  of  the  charter  school
 42        will  be  covered by the public employee retirement system, federal social
 43        security, unemployment insurance and worker's compensation insurance.
 44        (m)  The public school attendance alternative for students residing within
 45        the school district who choose not to attend the charter school.
 46        (n)  A description of the transfer rights of any employee choosing to work
 47        in a charter school and the rights of such employees to return to any non-
 48        charter school in the  school  district  after  employment  at  a  charter
 49        school.
 50        (o)  A  provision which ensures that the staff of the charter school shall
 51        be considered a separate unit for purposes of collective bargaining.
 52        (p)  The procedures to be followed by the charter school  and  the  entity
 53        granting  the  charter  to  resolve disputes relating to provisions of the
 54        charter.
 55        (q)  The manner by which special education services will  be  provided  to
                                                                        
                                           3
                                                                        
  1        students  with disabilities who are eligible pursuant to the federal indi-
  2        viduals with disabilities education act.
  3        (r)  The manner by which eligible students from the charter  school  shall
  4        be  allowed to participate in dual enrollment in noncharter schools within
  5        the district as provided for in chapter 2, title 33, Idaho Code.
  6        (4)  The petitioner shall provide information regarding the proposed oper-
  7    ation and potential effects of the school including, but not limited  to,  the
  8    facilities  to  be  utilized by the school, the manner in which administrative
  9    services of the school are to be provided and the  potential  civil  liability
 10    effects upon the school and upon the district.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


                    STATEMENT  OF  PURPOSE 
                                
                            RS 14113
                                   
This proposal amends Idaho Code  33-5205 to require a petition to establish a charter
school contain a copy of the articles of incorporation and the bylaws of the non-profit
corporation.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
                          FISCAL  IMPACT
                                
There is no fiscal impact on the state general fund.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
Contact
Name:     Bob West, Idaho State Department of Education
Phone:    332-6810
Name:     Don Robertson, Idaho State Department of Education
Phone:    332-6812                                                         S 1361