Signed by Governor Kim Reynolds

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a new method or pathway to create charter schools in the state of Iowa.

Highlights:

• Authorizes a charter school may be established by either of the following methods (Sec. 1-2):

• A school board may create a founding group to apply to the state board for approval to establish and operate a charter school within and as a part of the school district by establishing a new attendance center, creating a new school within an existing attendance center, or by converting an existing attendance center to charter status; and

• A founding group may apply to the state board for approval to establish and operate a charter school within the boundaries of the state that operates as a new attendance center independently from a public school district.

• Authorizes a school board to create a founding group to apply to the state board for approval to establish and operate a charter school within and as a part of the school district by establishing a new attendance center, creating a new school within an existing attendance center, or by converting an existing attendance center (Sec. 4-1).

• Specifies If the founding group proposes to establish a charter school by converting an existing attendance center of the school district, the state board shall not approve the application unless the founding group submits evidence that the attendance center’s teachers and parents or guardians of students enrolled at the existing attendance center voted in favor of the conversion (Sec. 4-5).

• Requires the instructions for completing an application to include or otherwise inform applicants of all of the following (Sec. 5-3):

• The performance framework adopted by the state board for charter school oversight and evaluation requirements;

• The criteria the state board will use in evaluating applications; and

• The requirements concerning the format and content essential for applicants to demonstrate the capacities necessary to establish and operate a successful charter school.

• Requires the state board to do all of the following a review of a charter school application and completion of the process (Sec. 5-6):

• Approve a charter school application only if the applicant has demonstrated competence in each element of the state board’s published approval criteria and the applicant is likely to open and operate a successful charter school;

• Make application decisions on documented evidence collected through the application review process; and

• Adhere to the policies and criteria that are transparent, based on merit, and avoid conflicts of interest or any appearance thereof.

• Prohibits a charter school from discriminating in its student admissions policies or practices based on intellectual or athletic ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, or status as a person with a disability. However, a charter school may limit admission to students who are within a particular range of ages or grade levels or on any other basis that would be legal if initiated by a school district (Sec. 7-4).

• Requires the charter school to complete and provide to the students’ school districts of residence all documentation necessary to seek Medicaid reimbursement for eligible services (Sec. 8-3).

• Specifies unless eligible for expedited renewal under subsection when reviewing a charter school contract renewal application, the state board will do all of the following (Sec. 10-9):

• Use evidence of the school’s performance over the term of the charter school contract following the applicable performance framework;

• Ensure that data used in making renewal decisions is available to the charter school and the public; and

• Provide a report summarizing the evidence that served as a basis for the decision.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a new method or pathway to create charter schools in the state of Iowa.

Highlights:

• Authorizes a charter school may be established by either of the following methods (Sec. 1-2):

• A school board may create a founding group to apply to the state board for approval to establish and operate a charter school within and as a part of the school district by establishing a new attendance center, creating a new school within an existing attendance center, or by converting an existing attendance center to charter status; and

• A founding group may apply to the state board for approval to establish and operate a charter school within the boundaries of the state that operates as a new attendance center independently from a public school district.

• Authorizes a school board to create a founding group to apply to the state board for approval to establish and operate a charter school within and as a part of the school district by establishing a new attendance center, creating a new school within an existing attendance center, or by converting an existing attendance center (Sec. 4-1).

• Specifies If the founding group proposes to establish a charter school by converting an existing attendance center of the school district, the state board shall not approve the application unless the founding group submits evidence that the attendance center’s teachers and parents or guardians of students enrolled at the existing attendance center voted in favor of the conversion (Sec. 4-5).

• Requires the instructions for completing an application to include or otherwise inform applicants of all of the following (Sec. 5-3):

• The performance framework adopted by the state board for charter school oversight and evaluation requirements;

• The criteria the state board will use in evaluating applications; and

• The requirements concerning the format and content essential for applicants to demonstrate the capacities necessary to establish and operate a successful charter school.

• Requires the state board to do all of the following a review of a charter school application and completion of the process (Sec. 5-6):

• Approve a charter school application only if the applicant has demonstrated competence in each element of the state board’s published approval criteria and the applicant is likely to open and operate a successful charter school;

• Make application decisions on documented evidence collected through the application review process; and

• Adhere to the policies and criteria that are transparent, based on merit, and avoid conflicts of interest or any appearance thereof.

• Prohibits a charter school from discriminating in its student admissions policies or practices based on intellectual or athletic ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, or status as a person with a disability. However, a charter school may limit admission to students who are within a particular range of ages or grade levels or on any other basis that would be legal if initiated by a school district (Sec. 7-4).

• Requires the charter school to complete and provide to the students’ school districts of residence all documentation necessary to seek Medicaid reimbursement for eligible services (Sec. 8-3).

• Specifies unless eligible for expedited renewal under subsection when reviewing a charter school contract renewal application, the state board will do all of the following (Sec. 10-9):

• Use evidence of the school’s performance over the term of the charter school contract following the applicable performance framework;

• Ensure that data used in making renewal decisions is available to the charter school and the public; and

• Provide a report summarizing the evidence that served as a basis for the decision.

Full Bill Text