Education, Administration

Rule R277-470

Charter Schools

Notice of Proposed Rule

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 33442
Filed: 03/09/2010 01:46:06 PM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

This rule is amended to remove language requiring parental involvement on a satellite charter school's governing board consistent with the intent of the Legislature. Other minor wording changes for clarification purposes and terminology changes are also in the amended rule.

Summary of the rule or change:

The changes include adding a word in the definition of Expansion, removing dates in Sections R277-470-4 and R277-470-5 of the rule, changing the name of a required plan in Section R277-470-11 of the rule, and removing language requiring parental involvement on a satellite charter school's governing board in Section R277-470-15 of the rule.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Section 53A-1a-513
• Subsection 53A-1-401(3)

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to the state budget for the procedural change to the rule that makes the rule consistent with Legislative intent and action.

local governments:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to charter schools for the procedural changes to the rule.

small businesses:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to small businesses. The changes relate to public charter schools and do not involve small businesses.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

There are no anticipated costs or savings to persons other than small business, businesses, or local government entities. The changes are procedural and relate to public charter schools and do not require anything of individuals.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

There are no compliance costs for affected persons. Complying with the procedural changes relating to governing board members on a satellite charter do not involve any funds.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

I have reviewed this rule and I see no fiscal impact on businesses.

Larry K. Shumway, State Superintendent

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Education
Administration
250 E 500 S
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84111-3272

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Carol Lear at the above address, by phone at 801-538-7835, by FAX at 801-538-7768, or by Internet E-mail at carol.lear@schools.utah.gov

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

05/03/2010

This rule may become effective on:

05/10/2010

Authorized by:

Carol Lear, Director, School Law and Legislation

R277. Education, Administration.

R277-470. Charter Schools.

R277-470-1. Definitions.

A. "Board" means the Utah State Board of Education.

B. "Charter schools" means schools acknowledged as charter schools by local boards of education under Section 53A-1a-515 and this rule or by the Board under Section 53A-1a-505.

C. "Charter school application" means the official chartering document by which a prospective charter school seeks recognition and funding under Section 53A-1a-505. The application includes the basic elements of the charter to be established between the charter school and the chartering board.

D. "Charter school deficiencies" means the following information:

(1) a charter school is not satisfying financial obligations as required by Section 53A-1a-505 in the charter school's written contractual agreement;

(2) a charter school is not providing required documentation following reasonable warning;

(3) compelling evidence of fraud or misuse of funds by charter school governing board members or employees.

E. "Charter school founding member" or "founding member" means an individual who had a significant role in the initial development of the charter school up until the first instructional day of school, the first year of operation, as submitted in writing to the State Charter School Board the first day of operation.

F. "Charter school governing board" means the board designated by the charter school to make decisions for the operation of the school similar to a local board of education.

G. "Days" means calendar days, unless specifically designated.

H. "Expansion" means a proposed ten percent increase of students or adding grade level(s) in an operating charter school at a single location.

I. "Local education agency (LEA)" means a local board of education, combination of school districts, other legally constituted local school authority having administrative control and direction of free public education within the state, or other entities as designated by the Board, and includes any entity with state-wide responsibility for directly operating and maintaining facilities for providing public education.

J. "Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (NAAS) accreditation" means the formal process for evaluation and approval under the Standards for Accreditation of the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools or the accreditation standards of the Board, available from the Utah State Office of Education Accreditation Specialist. Accreditation ensures that the credits/diploma a student earns is the result of a quality educational experience. The purpose of accreditation is to ensure excellence in education by holding schools accountable to rigorous standards and a process of continued improvement.

K. "Neighborhood or traditional school" for purposes of this rule, means a public, non-charter school.

L. "New charter school" as provided in Section 53A-21-401(5)(d) means any charter school through the first day of its second year with students, or a satellite school that requires a new location/campus.

M. "No Child Left Behind (NCLB)" means the federal law under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title IX, Part A, 20 U.S.C. 7801.

N. "On-going funds" means funds that are appropriated annually by the Legislature with the expectation that the funds shall continue to be appropriated annually.

O. "Satellite school" means a charter school affiliated with an operating charter school having a common governing board and a similar program of instruction, but located at a different site or in a different geographical area. The parent school and all satellites shall be considered a single local education agency (LEA) for purposes of public school funding and reporting.

P. "State Charter School Board" means the board designated in Section 53A-1a-501.5.

Q. "Subaccount" means the Charter School Building Subaccount consisting of funds provided under 53A-21-401(5)(b).

R. "Subaccount Committee" means the committee established by the Superintendent under Section 53A-21-401(6).

S. "Superintendent" means the State Superintendent of Public Instruction as designated under 53A-1-301.

T. "Urgent facility need" as provided in Section 53A-21-401(5)(d) means an unexpected exigency that affects the health and safety of students such as:

(1) to satisfy an unforeseen condition that precludes a school's qualification for an occupancy permit; or

(2) to address an unforeseen circumstance that keeps the school from satisfying provisions of public safety, public health or public school code.

U. "USOE" means the Utah State Office of Education.

V. "Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU)" means the unit of measure that is computed in accordance with the Minimum School Program Act for the purpose of distributing revenue on a uniform basis for each pupil.

 

R277-470-4. Charter School Orientation and Training.

A. [Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, a]All charter school applicants shall attend orientation/training sessions designated by the State Charter School Board.

B. Orientation meetings shall be scheduled at least quarterly and be available electronically, as determined by the State Charter School Board.

C. Charter schools and applicants that attend orientation/training sessions shall be eligible for additional funds, upon approval, in an amount to be determined by the State Charter School Board provided through federal charter school funds or a General Fund appropriation to the extent of funds available. Charter school applicants that attend training and orientation sessions may receive priority for approval from the State Charter School Board and the Board.

D. Orientation/training sessions shall provide information including:

(1) charter school implementation requirements;

(2) charter school statutory and Board requirements;

(3) charter school financial and data management requirements;

(4) charter school legal requirements;

(5) federal requirements for charter school funding; and

(6) other items as determined by the State Charter School Board.

 

R277-470-5. New or Expanding Charter School Notification to Prospective Students and Parents.

A. All charter schools opening or expanding by at least ten percent of overall enrollment or adding one or more grade levels[ after July 1, 2007] shall notify all families consistent with the schools' outreach plans described in the charter agreements of:

(1) a new or expanding charter school's purpose, focus and governance structure, including names, qualifications, and contact information of governing board members;

(2) the number of new students that will be admitted into the school by grade;

(3) the proposed school calendar for the charter school including at a minimum the first and last days of school, scheduled holidays, pre-scheduled professional development days (no student attendance), and other scheduled non-school days;

(4) the charter school's timelines for acceptance or rejection of new students consistent with Section 53A-1a-506.5;

(5) a State-approved student charter school application (beginning with the 2008-09 school year);

(6) procedures for transferring to or from a charter school, together with applicable timelines; and

(7) provide for payment, if required, of a one-time fee per secondary school enrollment, not to exceed $5.00, consistent with Section 53A-12-103.

B. Charter schools shall provide written notice of the information in R277-470-5A consistent with the school's outreach plan and at least 180 days before the proposed opening day of school.

C. Charter schools shall have an operative and readily accessible electronic website providing information required under R277-470-5A in place. The completed charter school website shall be provided to the State Charter School Board at least 180 days prior to the proposed opening day of school. The State Charter School Board shall require new charter schools to have websites that may be reviewed by the State Charter School Board prior to the schools posting the websites publicly.

 

R277-470-11. Charter Schools and NCLB Funds.

A. Charter schools that desire to receive NCLB funds shall comply with the requirements of R277-470-11.

B. To obtain its allocation of NCLB formula funds, a charter school shall complete all appropriate sections of the [Consolidated Utah Student Achievement Plan (CUSAP)]Utah Consolidated Application (UCA) and identify its economically disadvantaged students in the October upload of the Data Clearinghouse.

C. If the school does not operate a federal school lunch program, the school:

(1) shall determine the economically disadvantaged status for its students on the basis of criteria no less stringent than those established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for identifying students who qualify for reduced price lunch for the fiscal year in question; or

(2) may use the Charter School Declaration of Household Income form provided by the USOE for this purpose.

D. A school which does not use the form shall maintain equivalent documentation in its records, which may be subject to audit.

 

R277-470-13. Charter School Oversight and Monitoring.

A. The State Charter School Board shall provide direct oversight to the state's board chartered schools, including:

(1) requiring that all charter schools shall be members of and accredited by NAAS;

(2) annual review of student achievement indicators for all schools, disaggregated for various student subgroups;

(3) quarterly review of summary financial records and disbursements and student enrollment;

(4) annual review conducted through site visits or random audits of personnel matters such as employee licensure and evaluations;

(5) regular review of other matters specific to effective charter school operations as determined by the USOE charter school staff;[ and]

(6) audits and investigations of claims of fraud or misuse of public assets or funds; and

(7) requiring that charter schools are in compliance with their charter agreement, as maintained by the USOE. It is presumed that the charter agreement maintained by the USOE is the final, official and complete agreement.

B. The Board retains the right to review or repeal charter school authorization based upon factors that may include:

(1) financial deficiencies or irregularities; or

(2) persistently low student achievement inconsistent with comparable schools; or

(3) failure of the charter school to comply with state law, Board rules, or directives; or

(4) failure to comply with currently approved charter commitments.

C. All charter schools shall amend their charters to include the following statement:

To the extent that any charter school's charter conflicts with applicable federal or state law or rule, the charter shall be interpreted and enforced to comply with such law or rule and all other provisions of the charter school shall remain in full force and effect.

D. District charter school authorizers shall:

(1) visit a charter school at least once during its first year of operation;

(2) visit a charter school as determined in the review process; and

(3) provide written reports to the charter schools after the visits.

 

R277-470-14. Approved Charter School Expansion.

A. The following shall apply to requests for expansion for approved and operating charter schools:

(1) The school satisfies all requirements of state law and Board rule.

(2) The approved Charter Agreement shall provide for an expansion consistent with the request; or

(3) The charter school governing board has submitted a formal amendment request to the State Charter School Board that provides documentation that:

(a) the school district in which the charter school is located has been notified of the proposed expansion in the same manner as required in Section 53A-1[s]a-505(1);

(b) the school can accommodate the expansion within existing facilities or that necessary structures will be completed, meeting all requirements of law and Board rule, by the proposed date of operation;

(c) the school currently satisfies all requirements of state law and Board rule including adequate insurance, adequate parental involvement, compliance with all fiscal requirements, and adequate services for all special education students at the school;

(d) students at the school are performing on standardized assessments at an acceptable level with stable scores or scores showing an upward trend;

(e) adequate qualified administrators and staff shall be available to meet the needs of the increased number of students at the time the expansion is implemented.

B. The charter school governing board shall file a request with the State Charter School Board for an expansion no later than April 1 two years prior to the date of the proposed implementation of the expansion.

C. Expansion requests shall be considered by the State Charter School Board as part of the total number of charter school students allowed under 53A-1a-502.5(1).

 

R277-470-15. Satellite School for Approved Charter Schools.

A. An existing charter school may submit an amendment request to the State Charter School Board for a satellite school no later than April 1 two years prior to the date of the proposed implementation of the satellite if the charter school fully satisfies the following:

(1) The school currently satisfies all requirements of state law and Board rule including adequate insurance, adequate parental involvement, compliance with all fiscal requirements, and adequate services for all special education students at the school;

(2) The school has operated successfully for at least three years;

(3) Students at the school are performing on standardized assessments at an acceptable level with stable scores or scores showing an upward trend;

(4) The proposed satellite school will provide educational services, assessment, and curriculum consistent with the services, assessment, and curriculum currently being offered at the existing charter school;

(5) The school shall be financially stable; there have been no repeat findings of deficiencies on required outside audits for at least two consecutive years;

(6) Adequate qualified administrators, including at least one onsite administrator, and staff are available to meet the needs of the proposed student population at the satellite site school;

(7) The school has had an audit by Charter School Section staff regarding performance of the current charter agreement, contractual agreements, and financial records; and

(8) The school provides any additional information or documentation requested by the Charter School Section staff or the Board.

(9) A satellite school that receives School LAND Trust funds shall have a School LAND Trust committee and satisfy all requirements for School LAND Trust committees consistent with R277-477.

B. The satellite school amendment request shall include the following:

(1) Written certification from the charter school governing board that the charter school currently satisfies all requirements of state law and Board rule;

(2) A detailed explanation of the governance structure for the satellite school, including appointed[,] or elected [and parent] representation on the governing board, parental involvement and professional staff involvement in implementing the educational plan[. The applicant charter school shall include at least two voting parent members representing the parents of students at the satellite school on its governing board; at least one parent shall be elected by parents of students attending the satellite school];

(3) Information detailing the grades to be served, the number of students to be served and general information regarding the physical facilities anticipated to serve the school;

(4) A detailed financial plan for the satellite school;

(5) A signed acknowledgment by the charter school governing board certifying board members' understanding that a physical site for the building must be secured no later than January 1 of the year the satellite school is scheduled to open;

(a) the securing of the building site must be verified by a real estate closing document, signed lease agreement, or other contract indicating a right of occupancy pursuant to R277-470-7C;

(b) failure to secure a site by the required date may, at the discretion of the State Charter School Board, delay the opening of the satellite school for at least one academic year.

(6) Notification to both the school district in which the charter school is located and the school district of the proposed satellite school location in the same manner as required in Section 53A-1a-505(1);

(7) Written certification that no later than 15 days after securing a building site, the charter school governing board shall notify the school district in which the charter school satellite school is located of the school location, grades served, and anticipated enrollment by grade with a copy of the notification sent to the State Charter School Board; and

(8) A signed acknowledgment by the charter school governing board that the board understands the satellite school shall be held accountable for its own AYP report and disaggregated financial data and reports.

C. The approval of the satellite school by the State Charter School Board requires ratification by the State Board of Education and will expire 24 months following such ratification if a building site has not been secured for the satellite school.

D. A charter school may not apply for more than three satellite locations.

 

KEY: education, charter schools

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [November 9, 2009] 2010

Notice of Continuation: October 10, 2008

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: Art X, Sec 3; 53A-1a-515; 53A-1a-505; 53A-1a-513; 53A-1a-502; 53A-1-401(3); 53A-1a-510; 53A-1a-509; 41-6-115; 53A-1a-506; 53A-21-401; 53A-1a-519; 53A-1a-520; 53A-1a-501.5; 53A-1-301; 53A-1a-502.5; 53A-1a-506.5; 53A-12-103; 53A-11-504; 53A-11-903; 53A-11-904; 53A-1a-511; 53A-1-302 and 303; 53A-17a;109; 53-8-211; 62A-4a-403; 53A-11-605