HB363 Alabama 2023 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Terri CollinsRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2023

Title

Relating to the Alabama School Choice and Student Opportunity Act; to amend Sections 16-6F-5, 16-6F-6, and 16-6F-10, Code of Alabama 1975, to change the appointment process for the Alabama Public Charter School Commission; to authorize the commission to hire staff; to require commissioners to receive annual training; to provide additional guidelines for the authorizing and application review process; to provide further for the operational and categorical funding of public charter schools in their first year of operation; and to clarify the per pupil federal, state, and local funding of conversion public charter schools during their first year of operation.

Summary

HB363 restructures charter school authorization and funding in Alabama by expanding the charter commission, adding staff and training requirements, and clarifying first-year funding for start-up and conversion charter schools.

What This Bill Does

It changes how the Alabama Public Charter School Commission is appointed and authorizes it to hire staff, with mandatory annual training for commissioners. It adds guidelines for the authorizing and application review process, including enrollment rules, facility capacity rules, and preferences for students. It sets first-year funding rules for charter schools, including start-up funding based on anticipated enrollment and full per-pupil funding for conversion charters, plus related federal, state, and local funding flows. It imposes a cap on the number of start-up public charter schools that can be approved in a fiscal year and outlines how authorizers may charge and use oversight fees to cover costs.

Who It Affects

• Public charter schools (start-up and conversion) and their students, who would be subject to new enrollment rules, capacity procedures, and funding arrangements in their first year.
• Local school boards and the Alabama Public Charter School Commission (and their staff), who would gain new authority for charter approvals, required training, oversight responsibilities, and funding mechanisms to support authorizing activities.

Key Provisions

• Appointment, staffing, and training: Establishes an 11-member commission with a defined appointment process, adds a rotating member, and requires orientation and annual training, plus authorization to hire staff and operate under governance rules.
• Funding and enrollment rules: Defines first-year funding for start-up charters based on anticipated enrollment, converts funding for conversion charters to match pre-conversion levels with per-pupil federal, state, and local funds, outlines local funding transfers and oversight fees, and sets enrollment priorities and capacity-related procedures.

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

Subjects

Alabama School Choice and Student Opportunity Act