SB 451 - School Operations Summary

• Passport Scholarship Program: Establishes tax credit program allowing taxpayers to donate to educational assistance organizations that award scholarships to students in unaccredited school districts for tuition, fees, and transportation at qualified nonpublic schools or virtual schools.

• Unaccredited District Options: When districts become unaccredited, the state board of education may allow continued governance, appoint special administrative boards, establish alternative governance structures, attach territory to other districts, or establish new districts.

• Student Transfer Rights: Students from unaccredited districts can transfer to accredited public schools, charter schools, virtual schools, or nonpublic schools using passport scholarships; receiving districts cannot require including transfer students' test scores in school accountability measures for up to five years.

• Teacher Employment Changes: Eliminates seniority-based reduction in force, requires 51% of teacher evaluations be based on student academic growth, allows principals to select teachers based on effectiveness, and permits displaced effective teachers to seek mutual consent placements before unpaid leave.

• Emergency Provisions: Most education access provisions take effect immediately upon passage; teacher employment provisions become effective July 1, 2012; bill declared nonseverable, so invalidation of any provision invalidates entire act.