The board of regents shall be the only entity authorized to issue a charter pursuant to this article. Notwithstanding any provision of this subdivision to the contrary, an application for the conversion of an existing public school to a charter school shall be submitted to, and may only be approved by, the charter entity set forth in paragraph (a) of this subdivision. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, any such application for conversion shall be consistent with this section but shall not be subject to the process pursuant to subdivision nine-a of section twenty-eight hundred fifty-two of this article, and the charter entity shall require that the parents or guardians of a majority of the students then enrolled in the existing public school vote in favor of converting the school to a charter school.
Such renewal application shall be submitted to the charter entity no later than six months prior to the expiration of the charter; provided, however, that the charter entity may waive such deadline for good cause shown.
N.Y. Educ. Law § 2851