HB 1868 Summary

• Establishes new definitions for school district classifications including "borderline district," "transiency rate," and "underperforming" schools, and creates framework for accreditation levels (accredited with distinction, accredited, provisionally accredited, unaccredited).

• Creates the Statewide Achievement School District to oversee underperforming schools transferred from unaccredited districts, with a three-member board appointed by the governor and a chief executive officer with superintendent powers.

• Expands charter school opportunities in unaccredited districts by allowing school boards of accredited districts, combinations of school boards, and cooperative associations to sponsor charter schools; grants high-quality charter schools and management organizations expedited expansion opportunities with ten-year charters instead of five-year charters.

• Allows students in unaccredited districts to transfer to accredited public schools in the same or adjoining counties or receive tuition assistance to attend nonsectarian private schools, with the unaccredited district paying 75% of per-pupil costs and 5% going to a new Transportation Assistance Fund.

• Permits unaccredited districts to increase school day length, annual instructional hours, and school term length through board resolution, and requires limited consecutive weeks without student attendance for underperforming schools.