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IN SB0591
Bill
Status
1/15/2019
Primary Sponsor
Mark Stoops
Click for details
AI Summary
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Charter school authorizers that issued charters before July 1, 2015, must obtain state board of education approval before authorizing new charters or renewing existing ones; authorizers denied approval may complete current charter terms but cannot renew or grant new charters
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Authorizers cannot accept proposals from organizers that already operate charter schools if any of their existing schools received one of the lowest two accountability grades for two consecutive years
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Charter schools in the lowest two accountability categories for two consecutive years cannot enroll new students for one year; schools in those categories for three consecutive years face enrollment freezes until achieving middle-tier grades for two to three consecutive years
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Administrative fees for authorizers are tied to charter school performance: 3% for top two accountability tiers, 2% for third tier, 1% for fourth tier, and 0% for lowest tier, with lowest-tier schools required to redirect would-be fee amounts to classroom expenditures
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Department of Education must permanently provide staff for the Indiana Charter School Board, repealing the provision that allowed the board to hire its own staff funded by administrative fees
Legislative Description
Charter schools. Provides that certain charter school authorizers that issued a charter for a charter school before July 1, 2015, are required to be approved for chartering authority by the state board of education (state board) before the authorizers may authorize a new charter or renew an existing charter for a charter school. Provides that an authorizer may not accept a proposal to establish a charter school from an organizer that already operates a charter school if a charter school that the organizer operates does not meet certain thresholds regarding its school accountability grade. Provides that a charter school may not enroll new students who are not currently enrolled in the charter school if the charter school does not meet certain thresholds regarding its school accountability grade. Provides that an administrative fee for certain authorizers is dependent upon the category or designation that the charter school receives regarding its school accountability grade. Requires the department of education to provide staff to carry out the duties of the Indiana charter school board (charter board). Repeals a provision that provides that funding for the charter board consists of administrative fees.
Last Action
First reading: referred to Committee on Education and Career Development
1/15/2019