VARIOUS CHARTER SCHOOL CHANGES (NEW)

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View NCGA Bill Details2019-2020 Session
Senate Bill 392 (Public) Filed Wednesday, March 27, 2019
AN ACT TO MAKE VARIOUS CHANGES TO THE LAWS AFFECTING CHARTER SCHOOLS.
Intro. by Ballard, Brown, Newton.

Status: Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate (Senate action) (Aug 1 2019)

SOG comments (1):

Long title change

House committee substitute to the 2nd edition changed both titles.  Original long title was AN ACT TO DESIGNATE THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION AS AN APPLICABLE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE WHO MAY PROVIDE PUBLIC APPROVAL OF ONE OR MORE PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS TO FINANCE OR REFINANCE A CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITY.

Bill History:

S 392

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: Jul 29 2019 - View Summary

    The Governor vetoed the act on July 29, 2019. The Governor's objections and veto message are available here: https://webservices.ncleg.net/ViewBillDocument/2019/5993/0/S392-BD-NBC-6011


  • Summary date: Jul 10 2019 - View Summary

    House committee substitute makes the following changes to the 3rd edition. 

    Part IV.

    Modifies the proposed changes to Section 8.35 of SL 2014-100, as amended, concerning the virtual charter schools pilot program. Modifies the enrollment cap at participating schools to be no greater than 1,500 in their first year of operation with an allowable annual increase by 20% for each school (previous edition capped enrollment at 3,000 in the eighth year of the pilot). Authorizes the State Board of Education to allow a participating school to increase student enrollment to greater than 20% for any year of the school's operation if the State Board determines it to be in the State's best interest (previously, authorized the State Board to waive the 3,000-student maximum enrollment beginning in the eighth year of the school's operation). Adds a new requirement for a participating school to receive State Board approval for any enrollment increase if the school has been placed under monthly compliance monitoring by the Charter School Advisory Board due to a material change to its charter. Maintains that the changes apply beginning with the 2019-20 school year.  


  • Summary date: Jun 18 2019 - View Summary

    House committee substitute makes the following changes to the 2nd edition. 

    Amends the act's titles. Places the previous provisions into new Part I, and adds the following.

    Part II.

    Amends GS 115C-218.6, to allow the State Board to renew a charter for less than the standard 10-year period, if the percent of students who scored at or above proficient for all end-of-grade and end-of-course tests taken in the previous school year is at least five percentage points lower than in the local school administrative unit in which the charter school is located (previously, if the charter school's student academic outcomes for the preceding three years have not been comparable to those of students in the local school administrative unit in which the charter school is located). Maintains the remaining situations in which the renewal period can be less than the standard period.

    Part III.

    Amends GS 115C-218.1 to require charter applications to include a nationwide criminal background check for each member of the board of directors of the proposed charter to ensure no member has a conviction of a crime listed in GS 115C-332 or a substantially similar crime in another state. Requires the check to include a Social Security number trace and any known aliases. Also requires charter applications to certify whether each board member has been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor, and if so, include the the charge, the year of the charge, and its disposition. 

    Part IV.

    Amends Section 8.35 of SL 2014-100, as amended, concerning the virtual charter schools pilot program. Modifies the enrollment cap at participating schools to be no greater than 1,500 in its first year of operation with an allowable annual increase by 20% for each school to a maximum enrollment of 3,000 in the eighth year of the pilot (was, an increase by 20% for each school to a maximum enrollment of 2,592 in the fourth year of the pilot). Authorizes the State Board of Education to waive the 3,000-student maximum enrollment beginning in the eighth year of the school's operation (previously, authorized waiver of the the maximum enrollment threshold beginning in the fourth year of the school's operation) if the State Board determines it to be in the State's best interest. Applies beginning with the 2019-20 school year.  


  • Summary date: Apr 10 2019 - View Summary

    Senate committee substitute to the 1st edition amends proposed GS 115C-218.37 by adding in more specific section references to the Internal Revenue code.


  • Summary date: Mar 27 2019 - View Summary

    Enacts new GS 115C-218.37, providing as follows. Designates the Superintendent of Public Instruction as an applicable elected representative (meaning an elected official of a governmental unit having jurisdiction over the area in which a charter school facility is located) who may approve the issuance of one or more private activity bonds to finance or refinance a charter school facility after a public hearing following reasonable public notice. Defines charter school facility as real property, personal property, or both used or intended for use in connection with the operation of a charter school.