Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes school boards to withhold funds for low-performing charter schools.

Highlights:

• Authorizes a local board of school directors to withhold 100% of the funding to a regional or cyber charter school  if its School Performance Profile score is at least 15 points lower than that of the school district of residence (Sec. 10).

• Requires the Department of Education to use the same performance standards for cyber charter schools as it does for traditional public schools (Sec. 10).

• Establishes the Charter School Funding Advisory Commission to, among other things, examine how charter school financing impacts the education of students (Sec. 5).

• Authorizes the Department of Education Secretary to automatically deduct money from a public school’s budget if they fail to pay an associated charter school on time (Sec. 10).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires the Department of Education to use the same performance standards for cyber charter school as it does for traditional public schools.

Highlights:

• Requires the Department of Education to use the same performance standards for cyber charter schools as it does for traditional public schools (Sec. 10).

• Requires attendance records to be transferred in addition to academic transcripts when a student transfers between schools (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes charter schools and cyber charters to enter into a concurrent enrollment agreement with school districts and area vocational schools (Sec. 3).

• Establishes the Charter School Funding Advisory Commission to examine how charter school financing impacts the education of students (Sec. 5).

• Specifies that charter school employees are considered public employees (Sec. 6).

• Prohibits charter school administrators from receiving compensation from other charter schools or area education agencies (Sec. 6).

• Requires charter school boards to have at least 1 member who is a parent of a child currently enrolled in the school (Sec. 7).

• Authorizes charter school entities the right of first refusal to purchase or lease, for educational purposes only, public school facilities that are no longer in use (Sec. 10).

• Authorizes charter schools with no limits or caps on student enrollment to operate at more than 1 location (Sec. 10).

• Authorizes the Department of Education Secretary to automatically deduct money from a public school’s budget if they fail to pay an associated charter school on time (Sec. 10).

• Prohibits charter schools from requesting or demanding donations from parents of students or the public (Sec. 10).

• Requires charter schools to provide students in the same household with separate computers if requested (Sec. 10).

• Requires charter schools to be in compliance with state and federal attendance requirements (Sec. 10).

• Requires performance standards to be a primary factor when considering charter renewal for cyber charter schools (Sec. 10).

• Requires an annual assessment of cyber charter school performance on standardized tests to evaluate if the school is meeting the goals of its charter (Sec. 10).

Full Bill Text