Florida Senate - 2015                                     SB 692
       
       
        
       By Senator Brandes
       
       
       
       
       
       22-01365-15                                            2015692__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to charter schools; amending s.
    3         1002.331, F.S.; providing an exception to the
    4         prohibition on a high-performing charter school
    5         establishing more than one charter school in this
    6         state under specified circumstances; amending s.
    7         1002.332, F.S.; authorizing certain out-of-state
    8         entities to apply for designation as a high-performing
    9         charter school system; requiring the State Board of
   10         Education to adopt by rule eligibility criteria for
   11         such designation; requiring that charter schools
   12         established by such entities receive a reduction in
   13         certain administrative fees; providing an effective
   14         date.
   15          
   16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   17  
   18         Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (3) and subsection
   19  (5) of section 1002.331, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   20         1002.331 High-performing charter schools.—
   21         (3)
   22         (b) A high-performing charter school may not establish more
   23  than one charter school within the state under paragraph (a) in
   24  any year. A subsequent application to establish a charter school
   25  under paragraph (a) may not be submitted unless each charter
   26  school established in this manner achieves high-performing
   27  charter school status. The limits set forth in this paragraph do
   28  not apply to charter schools established by a high-performing
   29  charter school in the attendance zone of a school identified as
   30  in need of intervention and support pursuant to s. 1008.33(3)(b)
   31  or to meet capacity needs or to meet needs for innovative choice
   32  options identified by the district school board.
   33         (5) The Commissioner of Education, upon request by a
   34  charter school, shall verify that the charter school meets the
   35  criteria in subsection (1) and provide a letter to the charter
   36  school and the sponsor stating that the charter school is a
   37  high-performing charter school pursuant to this section. The
   38  commissioner shall annually determine whether a high-performing
   39  charter school under subsection (1) continues to meet the
   40  criteria in that subsection. Such high-performing charter school
   41  shall maintain its high-performing status unless the
   42  commissioner determines that the charter school no longer meets
   43  the criteria in subsection (1), at which time the commissioner
   44  shall send a letter to the charter school and its sponsor
   45  providing notification that the charter school has been
   46  declassified of its declassification as a high-performing
   47  charter school.
   48         Section 2. Present subsection (2) of section 1002.332,
   49  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (3), and a new
   50  subsection (2) is added to that section, to read:
   51         1002.332 High-performing charter school system.—
   52         (2) An entity that successfully operates a system of
   53  charter schools outside the state may apply to the State Board
   54  of Education for status as a high-performing charter school
   55  system. The state board shall adopt rules prescribing a process
   56  for determining whether the entity meets the requirements of
   57  this subsection by reviewing student demographic and performance
   58  data and fiscal accountability of all schools operated by the
   59  entity. To the extent practicable, the state board shall develop
   60  a rubric for the approval of such entities which aligns with the
   61  priorities of the federal Charter Schools Program Grants for
   62  Replication and Expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools in the
   63  Federal Register, Volume 76, No. 133. An entity classified as a
   64  high-performing charter school system pursuant to this
   65  subsection may submit an application in the same manner as
   66  specified in s. 1002.331(3) to establish and operate a new
   67  charter school in this state. For the first 3 school years of
   68  operation, each charter school established by such an entity
   69  shall receive a reduction in administrative fees as authorized
   70  under s. 1002.33(20)(a)3.
   71         Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.