HB 7206 Summary

• Charter management organizations must post on their websites meeting schedules, agendas, minutes, operating budgets, revenue sources including donor names and amounts, marketing expenditures, facility financing information, and all contracts with educational or service providers within ten business days of execution.

• Charter management organizations are prohibited from selecting attorneys, law firms, accountants, or audit firms that also serve the charter schools they manage, and cannot use state or local funding for advertising, marketing, or political influence.

• Charter school governing councils must submit all whole school management service contracts to the State Board of Education for approval within 60 days, which must enumerate services provided and associated costs, and the board may approve by majority vote.

• Contracts for whole school management services must include criminal history records checks for charter management organization employees and governing board members, evidence of antinepotism and conflict of interest policies, and performance accountability mechanisms.

• Charter schools and charter management organizations are added to whistleblower protections under Connecticut law, allowing employees to report misconduct, corruption, or violations to state auditors and protecting them from retaliation, with establishment of a complaint process through human rights referees.