SB 1130 - Charter School Excellence Act

• Requires charter schools to obtain a "statement of need" from the Department of Education before operating, effective July 1, 2017, to ensure schools provide innovative services not duplicating existing public school programs.

• Establishes a multi-step application process including a 30-day letter of intent filing, detailed financial statements, and evaluation criteria focused on need, resource availability, educational quality, and fiscal feasibility.

• Authorizes the Department of Education to assess application fees ranging from a $10,000 minimum base to a maximum of $50,000, plus $50 per projected full-time equivalent student.

• Allows conditional issuance of statements of need with mandatory compliance monitoring, validity periods of 18 months, and department authority to revoke statements or assess fines up to $1,000 per day for noncompliance.

• Makes it a second-degree misdemeanor to operate a charter school subject to review without a valid statement of need, and a first-degree misdemeanor to illegally transfer a statement of need, with penalties up to $10,000.