HB487 Alabama 2021 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Terri CollinsRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2021

Title

Education, Alabama School Choice and Student Opportunity Act, manner of appointing Alabama Charter School Commission and employment of staff revised, method of providing operational funding to public charter schools revised, Secs. 16-6F-6, 16-6F-10 am'd.

Summary

HB487 would change how the Alabama Public Charter School Commission is appointed and how public charter schools are funded and overseen.

What This Bill Does

It increases the term length for Alabama Public Charter School Commission members from two years to four years and revises how members are chosen, including appointing authorities. It creates a rotating 11th commission seat appointed by the local school system where a charter application was denied. It changes how operating funding for public charter schools is provided, including start-up funding and per-student state and local funds. It also strengthens oversight of charter authorizers with annual reporting and the possibility of chartering authority revocation for poor performance.

Who It Affects

• Public charter schools and their operators would see new funding formulas (start-up and per-pupil), funding flows, service purchasing rules, and reporting requirements.
• Local school boards and the Alabama Public Charter School Commission (as authorizers) and the Department of Education would face new appointment rules, term lengths, added oversight duties, and potential charges to cover authorizing costs.

Key Provisions

• Increase commission member terms from 2 to 4 years and specify the distribution of initial appointments: four by the Governor, one by the Lieutenant Governor, two by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and three by the Speaker of the House.
• Establish an 11th rotating commission seat to be appointed by the local school system where a charter application was denied.
• Require diversity and broad expertise among members and set term limits and renewal rules, including initial term variations and a maximum total years of service.
• Impose a startup charter cap of 10 per fiscal year, with the cap expiring after the 2020 fiscal year and a required performance report to the Legislature.
• Provide start-up and ongoing funding for public charter schools from the Education Trust Fund, with per-student state funds and inclusion of anticipated enrollment during startup.
• Allow per-student local revenue allocations to charter schools from resident districts, with limits tied to the state 10-mill match and geographic/district constraints.
• Create a schedule for local authorizers to charge a portion of per-student state allocations to cover authorizing costs (3% for 1-3 schools, 2% for 4-5, 1% for 6-10).
• Give charter schools the option to contract for services (e.g., transportation, meals) with separate contracts from authorizers or local districts; authorizers must have oversight and reporting requirements.
• Require annual independent audits with GAAP compliance and timely reporting to the authorizer; empower the Department to oversee authorizers and conduct special reviews.
• Regulate transportation and special education funding, ensuring charter schools receive appropriate funding and may contract for transportation; provide direct special education funding where applicable.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education