Senate Bill No. 838 - Charter Schools

• Expands locations where charter schools may operate to include unaccredited school districts and districts with Title I schools in level 3, 4, or 5 of school improvement, in addition to existing metropolitan and urban districts.

• Requires criminal background checks and family care safety registry checks for all charter school governing board members and incorporators before charter granting or renewal.

• Modifies charter school accountability requirements to establish baseline student performance during the first year and collect performance data annually throughout the charter period to monitor academic performance.

• Allows charter schools to become local educational agencies and establishes performance standards for charter renewal, including a 70 percent graduation rate requirement for high school programs and lowest-achieving Title I school status metrics.

• Authorizes workplace charter schools that may target students whose parents are employed in designated business districts and permits high-risk/alternative charter schools to use alternative credit arrangements for graduation requirements.