Bill Summary for S 793 (2013-2014)

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Summary date: 

Jun 16 2014

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2013-2014 Session
Senate Bill 793 (Public) Filed Monday, May 19, 2014
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL LAWS AND TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CORRECTION TO HOUSE BILL 712.
Intro. by Tillman, Cook.

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Bill summary

Senate amendment makes the following changes to the 2nd edition.

Inserts a Section 1.5 in this act to amend GS 115C-238.29D(a) by making stylistic and organizational changes to that subsection.

Amends the date by which the State Board of Education must make final decisions approving or denying charter school applications. Directs the SBE to make its decision to approve or deny a charter application by August 15 of a calendar year (was, January 15 of a calendar year) on all applications that the SBE receives before a date set by the Office of Charter Schools by which applications must be received in that application cycle.

Amends GS 115C-238.29D(d) to include as a basis for which a charter may be renewed for a period less than 10 years that the charter school is not in compliance with state law, federal law, the school's own by-laws, or the provisions set forth in its charter granted by the SBE.

Amends GS 115C-238.29F(g)(5a) to extend priority enrollment for the children of the charter school's board of directors beyond the first year of the charter's operation.

Amends GS 115C-238.39H(c) to add a new requirement that local school administrative units provide, within the specified 30-day time period and to charter schools receiving a per pupil share, any additional information that is requested by a charter school so that the charter school can audit and verify the calculation and transfer of the per pupil share of the local current expense fund.

Amends GS 115C-238.39H(d) to provide that the court must, in regards to the mediation process allowed in GS 115C-238.39H(b), order delinquent funds, costs, fees and interest to be paid in full no later than one year (was, three years) from the entry of any judgment.

Amends the competitive bid process for schools that show inadequate performance, providing that interested entities must have operated another charter school in North Carolina for at least three years (was, five years).

Makes technical changes.

Directs the State Board of Education (Board) to adopt processes and rules for fast tracking replication of high-quality charter schools that are operating in North Carolina. Requires charter schools to meet one of these two requirements to qualify for the fast-tracking replication: (1) has student academic outcomes comparable to outcomes of students in the local school administrative unit and can provide three years of financially sound audits or (2) agrees to contract with an education/charter management organization that can demonstrate that it can replicate high-quality charter schools in North Carolina. Requires the Board to ensure that the rules for the replication process provide that decisions on whether to grant a charter through the process are completed in less than 120 days. Requires the Board to adopt rules and procedures for the process by December 15, 2014. Also requires the Board to report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by February 15, 2015.

Provides that the act is effective on ratification and applies beginning with the 2014-15 school year, with Section 5.6 of the act applying to actions filed on or after the effective date.

Makes conforming changes to the long title.