HB664 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Terri CollinsRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Public Charter School Commission, members appointed by Governor, Lt. Governor, President Pro Tempore of Senate and Speaker of House in lieu of State Board of Education, Act 2015-3, 2015 Reg. Sess., am'd.

Summary

HB664 shifts who appoints the Alabama Public Charter School Commission to the Governor and other top state leaders and creates an 11-member commission with a rotating local-district seat.

What This Bill Does

Amends Act 2015-3 to require the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and Speaker of the House to appoint the commission members, replacing the previous role of the State Board of Education. Sets the commission as an independent 11-member body, with 10 members appointed by the four leaders (including minority-party appointee requirements) and a rotating 11th member chosen by the local school system where a charter is denied. Creates a startup charter cap of up to 10 new startup charter schools per fiscal year (with a five-year sunset), allows unlimited conversion charters, and requires annual reporting on performance and governance. Gives the commission authority to overrule a local school board’s denial to authorize a charter, and requires procedures to ensure high-quality charter applications, including open community hearings and consideration of multiple factors.

Who It Affects

• Public charter School Commission members and the appointing authorities (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, President Pro Tempore, and Speaker): changes in appointment process, term limits, diversity goals, and conflict-of-interest rules.
• Local school boards and the districts they oversee: potential involvement in the rotating position for denied applications, registration as charter authorizers, and oversight responsibilities and costs.
• Charter applicants and startup public charter schools: capped number of new startups per year (with overrule as a possible path to authorization), and processes for appeals and charters’ oversight.
• Public charter schools and their authorizers: new governance framework, funding mechanisms for oversight, contracts, and potential transfer of contracts if an authorizer’s authority is revoked.

Key Provisions

• Commission composition and appointment: 11 members total; four leaders appoint 10 members (Governor 4, Lt. Governor 1, President Pro Tempore 2, Speaker 3); each appointing authority must recommend at least two nominees; minority-party nominees included for certain positions; a rotating 11th member is appointed by the local school system where the charter is being sought.
• Startup cap and sunset: authorizers may approve up to 10 startup public charter schools in a fiscal year; cap expires after the fifth fiscal year; conversion charters are not capped; an annual performance/oversight report is required to the Legislature.
• Overrule and authorization process: if the commission overrules a local board and authorizes a charter, it acts as the authorizer under this act and must follow specified standards and procedures, including hearings and consideration of multiple factors to ensure high quality.
• Authorizers’ powers and oversight: authorizers may solicit, evaluate, approve/deny applications, negotiate contracts, monitor performance, determine renewals or revocation, and may charge a portion of per-student state funds to cover oversight costs based on the number of charters supervised.
• Standards and enforcement: the department oversees all authorizers and can conduct special reviews for poor performance; violations may lead to revocation of an authorizer’s chartering authority and transfer of contracts to other authorized bodies.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Charter Schools