House Bill 386 Summary

• Establishes the "Accelerating Public Charter Schools Act" and creates a Public Charter School Commission as an independent authorizer for charter schools separate from school districts.

• Authorizes four types of authorizers to approve charter schools: local school district boards, the Public Charter School Commission, Idaho public colleges/universities, and accredited nonprofit colleges/universities.

• Requires transparent charter application processes with specific approval timelines (90 days for initial decisions) and establishes performance-based accountability through performance certificates tied to academic and operational standards.

• Grants charter schools significant autonomy from state education rules while requiring compliance with financial reporting, safety laws, and teacher certification standards; permits alternative teacher and administrator certification pathways.

• Provides comprehensive funding formulas for charter schools based on average daily attendance, special education services, transportation, and facilities costs, with authorizer fees capped at $20,000 initially.