SB513 - Education Options Act of 2012

• Establishes the Education Options Act of 2012, allowing innovative schools and public charter schools to operate in Alabama as part of the public education system.

• Creates the Charter School Application Review Council with 11 members to authorize high-quality public charter schools, with final authority to approve charters when local school boards deny applications.

• Permits local school systems to enter school flexibility contracts with the state to gain exemptions from certain state laws and regulations while maintaining accountability for student performance.

• Restricts public charter schools to priority local school systems (persistently low-performing schools) and requires nonprofit, nonreligious organizations to apply for startup charters; conversion charters require majority parent petition.

• Establishes funding mechanisms providing per-student allocations of state and local funds to charter schools equal to non-charter public schools, with provisions for special education funding, facility acquisition, and extracurricular activity participation.