ENROLLED
ACT No. 207
2017 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 242
BY REPRESENTATIVE EMERSON
1 AN ACT
2 To 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 deliver to charter applicants certain information relative
5 to third-party evaluations of charter proposals; to provide requirements with regard
6 to such delivery; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be 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
9 to 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
20 Chapter. The board shall engage in an application review process that complies with
21 the latest Principles and Standards for Quality Charter School Authorizing, as
22 promulgated by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, and shall
23 provide for an independent evaluation of the charter proposal by a third party with
24 educational, organizational, legal, and financial expertise. The board shall send to
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1 the charter applicant, either by electronic means or hand delivery, the final
2 evaluation and recommendations, if any, of the third-party evaluator. Such
3 information shall be sent no later than five business days prior to the meeting at
4 which the board will take action on the charter proposal.
5 * * *
6 §3982. Local school boards; duties; Orleans Parish School Board; immovable
7 property; sale or lease
8 A.(1)(a)(i) Local school boards shall comply with R.S. 17:3983 and shall
9 review and formally act upon each charter proposal received within time lines
10 established by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education that are
11 consistent with national best practices in charter school authorizing. Such time lines
12 shall require, at a minimum, an annual charter application process in which local
13 school boards are afforded at least ninety days to evaluate such applications. In
14 conducting such review, the local school board shall determine whether each
15 proposed charter complies with the law and rules, whether the proposal is valid,
16 complete, financially well-structured, and 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
20 Chapter. The local board shall engage in a transparent application review process
21 that complies with the latest Principles and Standards for Quality Charter School
22 Authorizing, as promulgated by the National Association of Charter School
23 Authorizers, and shall provide for an independent evaluation of the charter proposal
24 by a third party with educational, organizational, legal, and financial expertise. The
25 local board shall send to the charter applicant, either by electronic means or hand
26 delivery, the final evaluation and recommendations, if any, of the third-party
27 evaluator. Such information shall be sent no later than five business days prior to the
28 meeting at which the local board will take action on the charter proposal. Each local
29 board shall use a common charter application developed by the state Department of
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1 Education and approved by the state board, but may request additional information
2 from applicants as needed.
3 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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