View Bill Status
View Bill Text
View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact
SCR103.........................................................by SCHROEDER
CHARTER SCHOOLS - A concurrent resolution authorizing the Legislative
Council to appoint a committee to undertake and complete a study of the
public charter school statutes and systems.
01/21 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/24 Rpt prt - to 10th Ord
01/25 Ref'd to Educ
02/02 Rpt out - Ref'd to St Aff
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]]
Fifty-eighth Legislature First Regular Session - 2005
IN THE SENATE
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 103
BY SCHROEDER
1 A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
2 AUTHORIZING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO APPOINT A COMMITTEE TO UNDERTAKE AND
3 COMPLETE A STUDY OF THE PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL STATUTES AND SYSTEMS AND
4 REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE.
5 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
6 WHEREAS, the current operation and goals of Idaho's public charter schools
7 have changed drastically since the initial authorizing legislation was passed;
8 and
9 WHEREAS, it appears that current legislation is inadequate to enforce and
10 assure accountability for both Idaho's laws and public money; and
11 WHEREAS, the charter school movement has recently been surrounded by sev-
12 eral controversies, chronicled in news stories, involving the mismanagement
13 and misuse of public money by some charter schools; and
14 WHEREAS, one of these news articles dealt with a State Police memo that
15 noted the strong possibility that public school funds were being used to pay
16 expenses of a private corporation; and
17 WHEREAS, questions have publicly been raised about possible violations of
18 Idaho's nepotism laws at some charter schools; and
19 WHEREAS, questions have been raised about employment practices at some
20 charter schools; and
21 WHEREAS, Idaho law is insufficient to prevent charter schools from being
22 exclusionary; and
23 WHEREAS, some parents of former charter school students have raised con-
24 cerns about the physical, mental and emotional atmosphere to which students
25 were subjected and the climate of fear to which both parents and students were
26 exposed; and
27 WHEREAS, one newspaper carried an article in which one charter advocate
28 noted that charter schools are able to thrive and "make money," a violation of
29 state law which mandates that schools be nonprofit; and
30 WHEREAS, state law has not addressed many areas of law which deal with
31 virtual schools, including whether they can be owned by for profit companies,
32 whether financial records of these schools are public records, and whether
33 competitive bid processes should have been used to select vendors providing
34 the services; and
35 WHEREAS, the Legislature needs to definitively answer the question of
36 whether Idaho public charter schools can spend public dollars for religious
37 instruction.
38 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the First Regular Session
39 of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the Senate and the House of Representa-
40 tives concurring therein, that the Legislative Council is authorized to
41 appoint a committee to undertake and complete a study of Idaho statutes gov-
42 erning public charter schools and the system of charter schools which has
43 developed pursuant to the law. The study should address the public concern
44 about irregularities and possible violations of the law, as well as address
2
1 changes in the law which will improve compliance and ensure accountability of
2 providers engaged in charter schools.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall report its findings, rec-
4 ommendations and proposed legislation, if any, to the Second Regular Session
5 of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 14700
Provides for an Interim Committee to review Charter School Statutes,
address public concern about legal and operational irregularities,
and recommend changes to improve compliance and ensure accountability.
FISCAL IMPACT
Impact can vary depending upon the number of members and travel
requirements. Legislative Services estimates cost at no more than
$10,000 per year.
Contact: Senator Gary J. Schroeder
208-332-1324
Jan Sylvester
208-884-5680 SCR 103