Revises provisions relating to charter schools. (BDR 34-757)

(Reprinted with amendments adopted on May 19, 2025)
SECOND REPRINT A.B. 495

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ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 495–COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

MARCH 24, 2025
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Referred to Committee on Education

SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to charter schools.
(BDR 34-757)

FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: No.

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

AN ACT relating to charter schools; revising provisions governing
the circumstances in which the sponsor of a charter school
that receives certain performance ratings under the
statewide system of accountability for public schools is
required to terminate the charter contract of the charter
school or restart the charter school under a new charter
contract; temporarily providing that the sponsor of a
charter school that receives certain performance ratings
under the statewide system of accountability for public
schools is not required to termi nate the contract of the
charter school or restart the charter school under a new
charter contract if the charter school achieves certain
ratings or increases a rating from the immediately
preceding school year; and providing other matters
properly relating thereto.
Legislative Counsel’s Digest:
Existing law requires each public school, including, without limitation, a 1
charter school, to be rated pursuant to the statewide system of accountability for 2
public schools. (NRS 385A.600) Existing law also requires the sponsor of a charter 3
school to terminate the charter contract or restart the charter school under a new 4
charter contract if the charter school receives certain ratings indicating 5
underperformance of the charter school in 3 years out of any 5 c onsecutive years. 6
(NRS 388A.300) Section 1 of this bill: (1) instead provides that the sponsor of a 7
charter school is required to terminate the charter contract or restart the charter 8
school under a new charter contract if the charter school receives certa in ratings 9
indicating underperformance of the charter school in 3 consecutive years; and (2) 10
eliminates the prohibition on using the rating of a charter school issued for any 11
school year before the 2015 -2016 school year for making such a determination. 12

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Sections 1 and 1.5 of this bill also provide that, until October 1, 2027, the sponsor 13
of such a charter school is not required to terminate the charter contract or restart 14
the charter school under a new charter contract if, pursuant to the statewide system 15
of accountability for public schools , the charter school receives certain ratings or 16
increases a rating from the immediately preceding school year by a certain 17
percentage. 18

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. NRS 388A.300 is hereby amended to read as 1
follows: 2
388A.300 1. Except as otherwise provided in [subsection] 3
subsections 5 and 6, subsection 3 of NRS 385A.720 and subsection 4
6 of NRS 388A.274, the sponsor of a charter school shall terminate 5
the charter contract of the charter school or restart the charter school 6
under a new charter contract if the charter school receives, in any 7
period of [5] 3 consecutive school years, three annual ratings 8
established as the lowest rating possible indicating 9
underperformance of a public school, as determined by the 10
Department pursuant to the statewide system of accountability for 11
public schools. 12
2. [A charter school’s annual rating pursuant to the statewide 13
system of accountability based upon the performance of the charter 14
school must not be included in the count of annual ratings for the 15
purposes of subsection 1 for any school year before the 2015 -2016 16
school year. 17
3.] If a charter contract is terminated or a charter school is 18
restarted pursuant to subsection 1, the sponsor of the charter school 19
shall submit a written report to the Department and the governing 20
body of the charter school setting fo rth the reasons for the 21
termination or restart of the charter school not later than 10 days 22
after terminating the charter contract or restarting the charter school. 23
[4.] 3. The provisions of NRS 388A.330 do not apply to the 24
termination of a charter contr act or restart of the charter school 25
pursuant to this section. 26
[5.] 4. The Department shall adopt regulations governing 27
procedures to restart a charter school under a new charter contract 28
pursuant to subsection 1. Such regulations must include, without 29
limitation, requiring a charter school that is restarted to enroll a 30
pupil who was enrolled in the charter school before the school was 31
restarted before any other eligible pupil is enrolled. 32
[6.] 5. If the sponsor of a charter school determines that not a ll 33
of the elementary, middle or high schools in or campuses of the 34
charter school meet the criteria described in subsection 1 and that 35

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the charter school can remain financially viable if the charter school 1
continues to operate and serve only the elementary , middle or high 2
schools or campuses which do not meet the criteria described in 3
subsection 1, the sponsor may amend the charter contract to 4
eliminate the elementary, middle or high schools or campuses that 5
meet the criteria described in subsection 1 and l imit the enrollment 6
in all other elementary, middle or high schools in or campuses of the 7
charter school. 8
6. The sponsor of a charter school described in subsection 1 9
is not required to terminate the charter contract of the charter 10
school or restart the charter school under a new charter contract 11
if the charter school received a rating that is: 12
(a) Within 5 points of the number of points required for the 13
second lowest rating of performance pursuant to the statewide 14
system of accountability for public schools or higher; or 15
(b) Within 10 points of the number of points required for the 16
second lowest rating of performance pursuant to the statewide 17
system of accountability for public schools or higher and the 18
charter school increased its rating from the immediately preceding 19
school year by at least 50 percent. 20
Sec. 1.5. NRS 388A.300 is hereby amended to read as 21
follows: 22
388A.300 1. Except as otherwise provided in [subsections] 23
subsection 5 , [and 6, ] subsection 3 of NRS 385A.720 and 24
subsection 6 of NRS 388A.274, the sponsor of a charter school shall 25
terminate the charter contract of the charter school or restart the 26
charter school under a new charter contract if the charter school 27
receives, in any per iod of 3 consecutive school years, three annual 28
ratings established as the lowest rating possible indicating 29
underperformance of a public school, as determined by the 30
Department pursuant to the statewide system of accountability for 31
public schools. 32
2. If a charter contract is terminated or a charter school is 33
restarted pursuant to subsection 1, the sponsor of the charter school 34
shall submit a written report to the Department and the governing 35
body of the charter school setting forth the reasons for the 36
termination or restart of the charter school not later than 10 days 37
after terminating the charter contract or restarting the charter school. 38
3. The provisions of NRS 388A.330 do not apply to the 39
termination of a charter contract or restart of the charter s chool 40
pursuant to this section. 41
4. The Department shall adopt regulations governing 42
procedures to restart a charter school under a new charter contract 43
pursuant to subsection 1. Such regulations must include, without 44
limitation, requiring a charter schoo l that is restarted to enroll a 45

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pupil who was enrolled in the charter school before the school was 1
restarted before any other eligible pupil is enrolled. 2
5. If the sponsor of a charter school determines that not all of 3
the elementary, middle or high schools in or campuses of the charter 4
school meet the criteria described in subsection 1 and that the 5
charter school can remain financially viable if the charter school 6
continues to operate and serve only the elementary, middle or high 7
schools or campuses whic h do not meet the criteria described in 8
subsection 1, the sponsor may amend the charter contract to 9
eliminate the elementary, middle or high schools or campuses that 10
meet the criteria described in subsection 1 and limit the enrollment 11
in all other elementary, middle or high schools in or campuses of the 12
charter school. 13
Sec. 2. (Deleted by amendment.) 14
Sec. 3. 1. This section and section s 1 and 2 of this act 15
become effective upon passage and approval. 16
2. Section 1.5 of this act becomes effective on October 1, 2027. 17

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