HLS 17RS-895 ORIGINAL
2017 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 242
BY REPRESENTATIVE EMERSON
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
SCHOOLS/CHARTER: Requires the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
and local public school boards to post certain information on their respective
websites relative to independent evaluations of charter proposals
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3981(4) and 3982(A)(1)(a)(i), relative to charter school
3 proposals; to require the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and
4 local public school boards to post on their respective websites certain information
5 relative to third-party evaluations of charter proposals; to specify time requirements
6 with regard to such posting; and to provide for related matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 17:3981(4) and 3982(A)(1)(a)(i) are hereby amended and reenacted
9to read as follows:
10 §3981. State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; powers and duties
11 relative to charter schools
12 The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall:
13 * * *
14 (4) Review each proposed charter in a timely manner and determine whether
15 each proposed charter complies with the law and rules and whether the proposal is
16 valid, complete, financially well-structured, educationally sound, whether it provides
17 for a master plan for improving behavior and discipline in accordance with
18 R.S. 17:252, whether it provides a plan for collecting data in accordance with
19 R.S. 17:3911, and whether it offers potential for fulfilling the purposes of this
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 17RS-895 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 242
1 Chapter. The board shall engage in an application review process that complies with
2 the latest Principles and Standards for Quality Charter School Authorizing, as
3 promulgated by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, and shall
4 provide for an independent evaluation of the charter proposal by a third party with
5 educational, organizational, legal, and financial expertise. The board shall post on
6 its website, on the same webpage where the board provides notice to the public of
7 its upcoming meetings, the final evaluation and recommendations, if any, of the
8 third-party evaluator. Such information shall be posted no later than five business
9 days prior to the meeting at which the board will take action on the charter proposal.
10 * * *
11 §3982. Local school boards; duties; Orleans Parish School Board; immovable
12 property; sale or lease
13 A.(1)(a)(i) Local school boards shall comply with R.S. 17:3983 and shall
14 review and formally act upon each charter proposal received within time lines
15 established by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education that are
16 consistent with national best practices in charter school authorizing. Such time lines
17 shall require, at a minimum, an annual charter application process in which local
18 school boards are afforded at least ninety days to evaluate such applications. In
19 conducting such review, the local school board shall determine whether each
20 proposed charter complies with the law and rules, whether the proposal is valid,
21 complete, financially well-structured, and educationally sound, whether it provides
22 for a master plan for improving behavior and discipline in accordance with
23 R.S. 17:252, whether it provides a plan for collecting data in accordance with
24 R.S. 17:3911, and whether it offers potential for fulfilling the purposes of this
25 Chapter. The local board shall engage in a transparent application review process
26 that complies with the latest Principles and Standards for Quality Charter School
27 Authorizing, as promulgated by the National Association of Charter School
28 Authorizers, and shall provide for an independent evaluation of the charter proposal
29 by a third party with educational, organizational, legal, and financial expertise. The
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
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HB NO. 242
1 local board shall post on its website, on the same webpage where the board provides
2 notice to the public of its upcoming meetings, the final evaluation and
3 recommendations, if any, of the third-party evaluator. Such information shall be
4 posted no later than five business days prior to the meeting at which the local board
5 will take action on the charter proposal. Each local board shall use a common
6 charter application developed by the state Department of Education and approved by
7 the state board, but may request additional information from applicants as needed.
8 * * *
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 242 Original 2017 Regular Session Emerson
Abstract: Requires the State Bd. of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and local
public school boards to post on their respective websites certain information relative
to third-party evaluations of charter proposals.
Present law requires BESE and local public school boards to review each charter school
proposal submitted in a timely manner and to determine whether each proposed charter
complies with the law and rules and whether the proposal is valid, complete, financially
well-structured, educationally sound, provides for a master plan for improving behavior and
discipline, provides a plan for collecting data, and offers potential for fulfilling the purposes
of present law relative to charter schools generally. Requires that the review process comply
with the specified national principles and standards.
Present law requires an independent evaluation of the charter proposal by a third party with
educational, organizational, legal, and financial expertise.
Proposed law adds a requirement that BESE and local school boards post on their respective
websites the final evaluation and recommendations, if any, of the third-party evaluator.
Requires that such information is posted no later than five business days prior to the meeting
at which the board will take action on the charter proposal. Otherwise retains present law.
(Amends R.S. 17:3981(4) and 3982(A)(1)(a)(i))
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.