SB 234 - Charter School Amendments

• Removes minimum student enrollment requirements of 200 students (or 100 for first 2 years) from the definition of charter schools, allowing schools to operate with fewer students.

• Restricts same-gender charter schools to one per gender, permits previously authorized same-gender schools to continue operating, and requires all new same-gender charter applications to go through the Department of Education.

• Changes teacher certification requirements to reference alternative certification program standards in §1260-1264 rather than listing specific detailed requirements.

• Modifies funding payment deadlines from November 30 to December 31 for both state and local district payments to charter schools.

• Updates charter approval and oversight procedures, including extending the decision timeline for renewal applications from 30 to 60 working days and adjusting notice periods for formal review hearings.

• Requires charter schools to display standardized financial report forms and IRS Form 990 (if applicable) on their websites and adds reporting requirements for single-gender schools regarding recruitment and retention of economically-disadvantaged students.