SB 187 Summary

• Amends the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act to allow school districts to sponsor charter schools when parents and legal guardians submit a sufficient petition requesting transition to charter school status.

• Creates the "Parent Empowerment Act" establishing procedures for petitions to convert a qualifying school to a charter school, requiring signatures from parents or legal guardians representing more than 50% of enrolled students.

• Establishes a selection committee with four (4) parents who signed the petition and one (1) school board member to select a charter school operator, with binding power subject to state board appeal on fraud or standards grounds.

• Allows parents and legal guardians to petition for termination of a school's principal and assistant principals at qualifying schools, with termination required by end of current contract and prohibition on rehiring terminated principals for five (5) years.

• Imposes a daily fine of $5,000 on school districts failing to meet petition-related deadlines without state board waiver, deducted from state funding; becomes effective November 1, 2015.