SB251 Summary

• Eliminates requirement that public school districts submit copies of charter school waivers when petitioning for the same waivers, requiring only the name of the charter school and list of requested waivers.

• Establishes 90-day decision timeline for state board to grant or deny waiver petitions, with additional 90 days allowed if Division of Elementary and Secondary Education requests more information.

• Requires open-enrollment public charter schools to post their most recent written contract on their website by August 1 each year.

• Expands charter revocation, transfer, or assignment procedures to allow voluntary assignment upon school petition and protects new operators from liability for prior school activities, with new local education agency numbers issued and annual reporting delayed one year.

• Modifies fund receivership procedures upon charter revocation or transfer, requiring schools to transfer state and federal funds to the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education with specific approval requirements for expenditures over $500 and allowing unclaimed funds after one year to transfer to the Public School Fund or receiving entity.

• Requires open-enrollment public charter schools to establish a policy on whether they will enroll students after July 30.