MA H746

Charter school governing boards must have at least 50% parent representatives (elected by parents) within 2 years of founding, with high schools also including student-elected student representatives; board members must file financial disclosure reports and disclose conflicts of interest

Charter schools become subject to state open meeting laws, public records laws, and freedom of information requirements, with all board meetings held in the school district at parent-convenient times and meeting minutes, budgets, policies, and contracts posted online

Charter school employees gain public employee status for tort liability and collective bargaining purposes under chapters 258 and 150E, including due process rights requiring evidence of misconduct and opportunity to respond before termination

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education must create an independent ombudsman office for parents to appeal enrollment and withdrawal decisions, establish a student identification system to track mobility, and maintain consolidated waitlists with routine verification

Charter management organizations must publicly disclose expenditures and profits for each school, post complete management contracts within 10 days of execution, and persons with financial relationships to management companies are prohibited from serving on governing boards