HB189 Alabama 2010 Session

This bill is the Alabama Innovative Charter Schools Act

This bill would provide for the creation of charter schools authorized by registered local school boards and the State Board of Education under certain conditions

This bill would establish the process by which local school boards may register as authorizers of charter schools

This bill would establish the processes by which a charter contract may be approved, renewed, and revoked

This bill would prohibit private schools from applying to become a charter school or converting to charter school status

This bill would require that charter contracts contain certain accountability provisions and that authorizers continually monitor the performance and compliance of charter schools

This bill would provide for the organization of a charter school, enrollment of students, employer requirements, and a minimum number of instructional days

This bill would generally relieve charter schools from the requirements of state education statutes while requiring them to follow laws related to civil rights, health, safety, state content standards, accountability and student assessment, competitive bidding, open meetings, and open records

This bill would provide for the funding of charter schools and require an annual independent audit

This bill would provide for the acquisition and use of facilities and require that charter schools follow the same building codes as other public schools

This bill would require the State Board of Education to promulgate rules and regulations to implement this act

Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended, prohibits a general law whose purpose or effect would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds from becoming effective with regard to a local governmental entity without enactment by a 2/3 vote unless: it comes within one of a number of specified exceptions; it is approved by the affected entity; or the Legislature appropriates funds, or provides a local source of revenue, to the entity for the purpose

The purpose or effect of this bill would be to require a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of the amendment. However, the bill does not require approval of a local governmental entity or enactment by a 2/3 vote to become effective because it comes within one of the specified exceptions contained in the amendment

To establish the Alabama Innovative Charter Schools Act relating to public K-12 education; to provide for the creation of charter schools authorized by registered local school boards and the State Board of Education under certain conditions; to establish the process by which a local school board may register as an authorizer of charter schools; to establish the processes by which a charter contract may be approved, renewed, and revoked; to prohibit a private school from applying to become a charter school or converting to charter school status; to require certain accountability provisions in charter contracts; to require an authorizer to continually monitor the performance and compliance of each charter school; to provide for the organization, enrollment of students, employer requirements, and minimum number of instructional days for each charter school; to generally relieve charter schools from the requirements of state education statutes while requiring them to follow laws related to civil rights, health, safety, state content standards, accountability and student assessment, competitive bidding, open meetings, and open records; to provide for the funding of charter schools; to require independent annual audits; to provide for the acquisition and use of facilities and require that charter schools follow the same building codes as other public schools; to require the State Board of Education to promulgate rules to implement this act; and in connection therewith to have as its purpose or effect the requirement of a new or increased expenditure of local funds within the meaning of Amendment 621 of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, now appearing as Section 111.05 of the Official Recompilation of the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, as amended.