Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-6-.03

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 290-3-6-.03 - Guidelines For Public Charter Schools

(1) The Department shall provide oversight of the performance and effectiveness of all authorizers approved under the provisions of the Act. This oversight is ongoing and is not limited to the specific actions and procedures described in these rules or the Act. The State Superintendent is authorized to provide guidelines for the establishment, operation, and oversight of public charter schools provided by the Act.

(2) The guidelines will incorporate the procedures, forms, and deadline for local school boards to apply as authorizers of public charter schools within its boundaries.

(3) The guidelines will include procedures, forms, and deadline for local board authorizers who wish to reapply for charter authority after five years as a local school board authorizer.

(4) The guidelines will include information and timelines for annual training for local school board authorizers.

(5) The guidelines will include the procedures for the charter schools, charter operators, and/or education service providers whose local board authorizer is denied charter authority upon reapplying for charter authority after five years.

(6) The guidelines will include the timelines for charter approval or denial decisions applicable to all authorizers.

(7) The guidelines will include actions, including withholding the distribution of state or federal funds to a public charter school, if the authorizer or the public charter school does not provide the reports needed to meet the requirements of the Act.

(8) Charter schools will receive their distribution of allocations for operational and categorical funding in the same manner as all other non-charter public schools.

(9) The guidelines will include procedures for the oversight of the performance and effectiveness of authorizers or public charter schools by the Department.

(10) The guidelines will include requirements for assuring that the health, safety, and welfare of students attending public charter schools is of paramount importance in the operations of the authorizers, the public charter schools, and the education service providers.

(11) The guidelines will include any procedures, forms, timelines, disclosures, requirements, or information that the State Superintendent determines to be necessary or beneficial to provide for the operations and provisions of educational services of public school students served by public charter schools and non-charter public schools in Alabama.

(12) The guidelines will provide for the submission and maintenance of reports and forms in electronic format unless the State Superintendent determines otherwise.

(13) The guidelines may require attendance or completion of specific training courses or sessions for designated personnel of authorizers, public charter school personnel, or education service providers. The State Superintendent may approve or impose fees for the provision of required training.

(14) The Department guidelines may include additional information and requirements in accordance with the Act, as amended.

(15) The policies and procedures included in the guidelines shall be implemented in addition to the requirements in the Act.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 290-3-6-.03

Adopted by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXIII, Issue No. 11, August 31, 2015, eff. 9/17/2015.

Amended by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XLII, Issue No. 03, December 29, 2023, eff. 2/12/2024.

Author: Thomas R. Bice; Dr. Eric G. Mackey

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 16-4-7, 16-6F-9; Act No. 2023-420; Administrative Code Rules 290-1-1-.05 and 290-1-1-.030.