HB245 Alabama 2017 Session

Under existing law, the Alabama School Choice and Student Opportunity Act establishes the Alabama Public Charter School Commission and provides the process for establishing and maintaining public charter schools in the state

This bill would provide that the 10 members of the Alabama Public Charter School Commission currently appointed by the State Board of Education from nominees recommended by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives be appointed by the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and would authorize the commission to employ necessary staff

Under existing law, a public charter school may be authorized only by a local school board or the Alabama Public Charter School Commission

This bill would require the State Department of Education to annually publish a list of registered local authorizers and would allow an applicant to apply directly to the commission if a particular school system is not listed

This bill would provide further for deadlines on the statewide timeline for local authorizer applications

This bill would permit authorizers to encourage proposals that include a specific academic approach or theme

This bill would increase the length of time during which an authorizer and the governing board of an approved public charter school are required to execute a charter contract from 60 to 120 days

This bill would also revise provisions relating to operational funding of public charter schools and would require the forwarding of certain state funds by the department to the public charter school on a monthly basis in lieu of a quarterly basis

Relating to the Alabama School Choice and Student Opportunity Act; to amend Sections 16-6F-6, 16-6F-7, and 16-6F-10, Code of Alabama 1975, to provide for the appointment of 10 members of the Alabama Public Charter School Commission, currently appointed by the State Board of Education from nominees recommended by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, by those officials; to authorize the commission to employ necessary staff; to require the State Department of Education to annually publish a list of registered local authorizers of public charter schools and allow an applicant to apply directly to the commission if a particular school system is not listed; to provide further for deadlines on the statewide timeline for local authorizer applications; to permit authorizers to encourage proposals including specific academic approaches or themes; to increase the length of time during which an authorizer and the governing board of an approved public charter school are required to execute a charter contract from 60 to 120 days; to revise certain operational funding of public charter schools' provisions; and to require the forwarding of certain state funds by the department to public charter schools on a monthly basis in lieu of a quarterly basis.