Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes publicly funded school voucher credits for students to attend private charter schools.

Highlights:

• Specifies charter schools will be part of the state’s program of public education (Sec. 6).

• Requires the state Board of Education to do all of the following after reviewing a charter school application (Sec. 10-6):

• Approve a charter school application only if the applicant has demonstrated competence in each element of the state board’s published approval criteria and the applicant is likely to open and operate a successful charter school;

• Make application decisions on documented evidence collected through the application review process; and

• Adhere to the policies and criteria that are transparent, based on merit, and avoid conflicts of interest or any appearance thereof.

• Authorizes an initial charter school contract to be granted for a term of ten school budget years (Sec. 11-2).

• Expands powers of a charter school necessary for carrying out the terms of the charter school contract including but not limited to the following (Sec. 12-1):

• Receive and expend funds for charter school purposes;

• Secure appropriate insurance and enter into contracts and leases;

• Contract with an education service provider for the management and operation of the charter school so long as the governing board retains oversight authority over the charter school;

• Incur debt in anticipation of the receipt of public or private funds;

• Pledge, assign, or encumber the charter school’s assets to be used as collateral for loans or extensions of credit;

• Solicit and accept gifts or grants for charter school;

• Purposes unless otherwise prohibited by law or by the terms of its charter school contract;

• Acquire from public or private sources real property for use as a charter school or a facility directly related to the operations of the charter school; and

• Sue and be sued in the charter school’s own name

• Requires the school district of residence to pay to the charter school in which the student is enrolled an amount equal to the sum of the state cost per pupil for the previous school year plus the teacher leadership supplement state cost per pupil for the previous fiscal year (Sec. 13-2).

• Requires the performance framework of a charter school to include but is not limited to indicators,measures,and metrics for all of the following:

• Student academic proficiency;

• Student academic growth;

• Achievement gaps in both proficiency and growth between specified populations or groups of students,including groups based on gender, race, poverty,special education status, limited English proficiency,and gifted status;

• Attendance;

• Enrollment attrition;

• Postsecondary readiness for students in grades nine through twelve;

• Goals specified in the charter school's mission; and

• Financial performance and sustainability

Full Bill Text