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S1020..........................................................by SCHROEDER CHARTER SCHOOLS - Amends existing law to revise legislative intent to specify the purposes which warrant the establishment of a charter school. 01/18 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing 01/19 Rpt prt - to Educ
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]] Fifty-eighth Legislature First Regular Session - 2005IN THE SENATE SENATE BILL NO. 1020 BY SCHROEDER 1 AN ACT 2 RELATING TO LEGISLATIVE INTENT FOR ESTABLISHING CHARTER SCHOOLS; AMENDING SEC- 3 TION 33-5202, IDAHO CODE, TO SPECIFY THE PURPOSES THAT WARRANT THE ESTAB- 4 LISHMENT OF A CHARTER SCHOOL. 5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 6 SECTION 1. That Section 33-5202, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby 7 amended to read as follows: 8 33-5202. LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the legislature to pro- 9 vide opportunities for teachers, parents, studentsand community members to 10 establish and maintain public charter schools which operate independently from 11 the existing traditional school district structure but within the existing 12 public school system as amethodmechanism to promote comprehensive educa- 13 tional reform in order to accomplishanyall of the following: 14 (1) Improve student learning; 15 (2) Increase learning opportunities for all students, with special empha- 16 sis on expanded learning experiences for students; 17 (3) Include the use of different and innovative teaching methods; 18 (4)Utilize virtual distance learning and on-line learning;19(5)Create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the 20 opportunity to be responsible for the learning program at the school site; 21 (65) Provide parents and students with expanded choices in the types of 22 educational opportunities that are available within the public school system; 23 (76) Hold the schools established under this chapter accountable for 24 meeting measurable student educational standards.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE RS 14627 The charter school legislation passed in 2004 (S1444) changed the intent of the charter school law. This legislation restores the original intent of the law. "To accomplish any of the following" is changed to "to accomplish all of the following". The law currently allows a charter school to select any combination of the seven stated intents or to select only one of the seven intents. It is possible to create a charter school that does not include the intent to improve student learning. It is also possible to create a charter school that is a duplication of a program currently available within the public school system thereby not providing parents and students with expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system. "Method" is deleted and replaced with "mechanism to promote comprehensive educational reform in order" to indicate the intent of charter schools is to promote comprehensive educational reform. "Students" is eliminated as students are typically under the age of eighteen and do not enter into legal contracts. List item number four, utilize virtual distance learning and on- line learning, is deleted as it is covered under the use of different and innovative teaching methods and expanded choices in the types of educational opportunities that are available within the public school system. FISCAL IMPACT No fiscal impact on the general fund Contact Name: Jan Sylvester Phone: 208-884-5680 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE S 1020