Signed by Governor Mike Pence

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that authorizes the establishment of innovation network schools.

Highlights:

•  Authorizes a local board of school commissioners to enter into an agreement with a school management team to complete the following (Sec. 1):
• Establish an innovation network school within a vacant, “underutilized, or underenrolled” school building; or
• Reconstitute an eligible school as an innovation network school. 

• Defines “school management team” means an entity responsible for the operations of an innovation network school with a school corporation (Sec. 1). 

• Defines “eligible school” as a school that is part of a school corporation that meets the following criteria (Sec. 1):
• Has been in the lowest 2 categories of school improvement for the last 3 consecutive school years; or
• Was operated by the school corporation as an innovation network (iNetwork) school prior to January 1, 2014. 

• Specifies that the terms of the agreement between a local board of school commissioners and a school management team shall specify certain information including, but not limited to, the following information (Sec. 1):
• A statement that the school is considered to be part of the school corporation and not a separate local educational agency;
• A statement that the school management team authorizes the Department of Education to include the school’s performance assessment when calculating the corporation’s performance assessment;
• The amount of state and federal funding, including tuition support, that will be distributed by the school corporation to the school; and
• The performance goals and accountability metrics agreed upon for the school.

• Specifies that the total number of eligible schools that may be reconstituted as innovation network schools, during the initial year of implementation by the board, may not exceed 10 percent of the total number of schools operated by the school corporation (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that for as long as the school management team operates the innovation network school, the following may occur (Sec. 1):
• The school management team may use the school building, and the building’s contents, equipment, and supplies; and
• The school corporation may provide transportation for students and maintain and repair the buildings.

• Prohibits the board from establishing an innovation network school in the same building as a school that was in the highest 2 categories of school improvement in the most recent school year (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the innovation network school from refusing enrollment to a student who lives in the school’s attendance area (Sec. 1).

• Requires a school management team to make all personnel decisions in the innovation network school, and specifies that a school management team is not bound by a collective bargaining contract entered into by the local board of school commissioners and the teachers of the school (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes employees of a school management team to organize and collectively bargain (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report that authorizes the establishment of innovation network schools.

Highlights:

•  Authorizes a local board of school commissioners to enter into an agreement with a school management team to complete the following (Sec. 1):
• Establish an innovation network school within a vacant, “underutilized, or underenrolled” school building; or
• Reconstitute an eligible school as an innovation network school. 

• Defines “school management team” means an entity responsible for the operations of an innovation network school with a school corporation (Sec. 1). 

• Defines “eligible school” as a school that is part of a school corporation that meets the following criteria (Sec. 1):
• Has been in the lowest 2 categories of school improvement for the last 3 consecutive school years; or
• Was operated by the school corporation as an innovation network (iNetwork) school prior to January 1, 2014. 

• Specifies that the terms of the agreement between a local board of school commissioners and a school management team shall specify certain information including, but not limited to, the following information (Sec. 1):
• A statement that the school is considered to be part of the school corporation and not a separate local educational agency;
• A statement that the school management team authorizes the Department of Education to include the school’s performance assessment when calculating the corporation’s performance assessment;
• The amount of state and federal funding, including tuition support, that will be distributed by the school corporation to the school; and
• The performance goals and accountability metrics agreed upon for the school.

• Specifies that the total number of eligible schools that may be reconstituted as innovation network schools, during the initial year of implementation by the board, may not exceed 10 percent of the total number of schools operated by the school corporation (Sec. 1).

• Specifies that for as long as the school management team operates the innovation network school, the following may occur (Sec. 1):
• The school management team may use the school building, and the building’s contents, equipment, and supplies; and
• The school corporation may provide transportation for students and maintain and repair the buildings.

• Prohibits the board from establishing an innovation network school in the same building as a school that was in the highest 2 categories of school improvement in the most recent school year (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits the innovation network school from refusing enrollment to a student who lives in the school’s attendance area (Sec. 1).

• Requires a school management team to make all personnel decisions in the innovation network school, and specifies that a school management team is not bound by a collective bargaining contract entered into by the local board of school commissioners and the teachers of the school (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes employees of a school management team to organize and collectively bargain (Sec. 1).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes Indianapolis Public School Corporation to enter into operational agreements.

Highlights:

• Authorizes certain school boards to enter into an operational agreement with a “school management team” for a school that meets the following requirements (Sec. 1):
• The school was in the lowest 2 categories of school improvement for 3 consecutive school years; or 
• The school is vacant, underutilized, or under enrolled as designated by the school corporation. 

• Defines “school management team” as a nonprofit entity responsible for the operations of an eligible school (Sec. 1).

• Prohibits a school management team from being required to be bound by a contract that was previously entered into by the school board (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the employees of a school management team to organize and collectively bargain under current Indiana laws (Sec. 1).

• Authorizes the school management team to use the eligible school’s building, accompanying real property, and the buildings contents (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill apply to a school corporation that is located in a county with more than 700,000 individuals and that serves the largest geographical territory of any school corporation in the county (Sec. 1). 

Full Bill Text