CHARTER SCHOOLS; AMEND CONTRACT REQS. H.B. 5231 (H-1) - 5234 (H-1):
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bills 5231 through 5234 (Substitute H-1 as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Regina Weiss (H.B. 5231)
Representative Stephanie A. Young (H.B. 5232)
Representative Samantha Steckloff (H.B. 5233)
Representative Helena Scott (H.B. 5234)
CONTENT
House Bills 5231 (H-1) through 5234 (H-1) would amend the Revised School Code to require the board of directors of a public school academy (PSA), a school of excellence, a strict discipline academy, or an urban high school academy, respectively, to list the names of its authorizing body and primary education management organization on property signage, promotional material, its web page, and student applications. The requirement would have to be included in entered or modified contracts between an authorizing body and a school on or after the bills effective dates.
The Code allows an authorizing body, such as the board of a school district or an intermediate school district, to contract with an interested person or entity for the creation of a PSA, schools of excellence, strict discipline academies, or urban high school academies.[1] As these schools are created by charter contracts, they are referred to as charter schools.
Under the bills, a contract entered, extended, renewed, or modified on or after the bills effective dates would have to require the board of directors of a PSA, school of excellence, strict discipline academy, or urban high school authority to list or verbally provide, if applicable, the names of the charter school s authorizing body and primary education management organization on or in the following:
-- Signage that was on the charter school s property and was erected, repaired, or installed on or after the bills effective dates, unless prohibited by a local ordinance or local zoning authority.
-- Internet, television, or radio advertisements or billboards created, modified, or distributed on or after the bills effective dates.
-- The footer of the charter school s website pages.
-- The application a student was required to submit to enroll in the charter school.
"Primary educational management organization" would mean an educational management organization that was responsible administrative services or staff and educational and instructional services or staff.
380.553 (H.B. 5232)
380.1311e (H.B. 5233)
380.523 (H.B. 5234)
BACKGROUND
The Code requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to approve a school of excellence if the proposed school is modelled on a high-performing school or program. An authorizing body may operate a school of excellence as a cyber school if the school s education management organization demonstrates experience in delivering a quality education program that improves pupil academic achievement, among other requirements. The Code allows for the creation of up to 15 cyber schools of excellence. Additionally, a PSA that demonstrates superior academic performance may be converted to a school of excellence. Strict discipline academies are established to serve suspended, expelled, or incarcerated young people.
Legislative Analyst: Abby Schneider
FISCAL IMPACT
The bills would have no fiscal impact on State or local government. The requirements of the bills would apply only to signage or promotional material created after the effective date of the legislation, so no entity would have to recreate any existing signage or materials.
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.
[1] Generally, the board of a school district, the board of an intermediate school district, the board of a community college, the board of a public university in the State, or two or more of these bodies working jointly may serve as an authorizing body for a PSA, school of excellence, or strict discipline academy. An urban high school academy may only be authorized by the board of a State public university.