HLS 17RS-756 ORIGINAL
2017 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 239
BY REPRESENTATIVE BOUIE
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
SCHOOLS/CHARTER: Requires certain charter school information to be submitted by the
State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and ceases authorization of
charter schools pending certification of such information
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 17:3981(9), relative to charter schools; to require the State Board of
3 Elementary and Secondary Education to submit certain information relative to
4 charter schools to the legislature and the legislative auditor; prohibits the
5 authorization of charter schools by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary
6 Education and city, parish, and other local public school boards until such
7 information is certified by the legislative auditor; to provide for effectiveness; and
8 to provide for related matters.
9Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 17:3981(9) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 ยง3981. State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; powers and duties
12 relative to charter schools
13 The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall:
14 * * *
15 (9) Submit a report to the legislature and the legislative auditor by not later
16 than February 15, 2018, that includes all of the following information for each
17 charter school operating in the state:
18 (a) Performance data, including all raw data collected, and results that
19 include, at a minimum, a description of the education program offered by each
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HB NO. 239
1 school and how that program has met the needs of the students since the school's
2 creation and if and to what extent the school is achieving its stated goals and
3 objectives as specified in its approved charter.
4 (b) An analysis of such data and results for each school that allows for fair
5 and accurate comparisons of such schools.
6 (c) Other information as may be determined by the legislative auditor.
7 Section 2. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and city, parish,
8and other local public school boards shall cease authorizing charter schools until the
9legislature receives written notification from the legislative auditor certifying that the
10information submitted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education as
11required in Section 1 of this Act complies with the requirements of Section 1 of this Act and
12the intended purposes of the Charter School Demonstration Programs Law as provided in
13R.S. 17:3972.
14 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
15signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
16by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
17vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
18effective on the day following such approval.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 239 Original 2017 Regular Session Bouie
Abstract: Requires the State Bd. of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) to submit
certain information relative to all charter schools operating in La. to the legislature
and the legislative auditor. Prohibits the authorization of charter schools pending
certification of such information by the legislative auditor.
Proposed law requires BESE to submit a report to the legislature and the legislative auditor
by Feb. 15, 2018, that includes all of the following information for each charter school
operating in the state:
(1)Performance data, including all raw data collected, and results that include, at a
minimum, a description of the education program offered by each school and how
that program has met the needs of the students since the school was created and if
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HB NO. 239
and to what extent the school is achieving its stated goals and objectives as specified
in its approved charter.
(2)An analysis of such data and results for each school.
(3)Other information as determined by the legislative auditor.
Proposed law prohibits BESE and local public school boards from authorizing charter
schools until the legislature receives written notification from the legislative auditor
certifying that the information submitted by BESE as required in proposed law complies
with the requirements of proposed law and present law relative to the intended purposes of
the charter school law.
Present law (R.S. 17:3972) creates the Charter School Demonstration Programs Law to
authorize experimentation of innovative kinds of independent public schools, to provide a
framework for such experimentation by the creation of such schools, a means for all persons
with valid ideas and motivation to participate in the experiment, and a mechanism by which
experiment results can be analyzed, the positive results repeated or replicated, and the
negative results identified and eliminated.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:3981(9))
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