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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
HOUSE BILL 1226 By: West (Kevin)
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to charter schools; amending Section
2, Chapter 323, O.S.L. 2023, and 70 O.S. 2021,
Sections 3-134, as last amended by Section 6, Chapter
323, O.S.L. 2023, and 3-136, as amended by Section 7,
Chapter 323, O.S.L. 2023 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024,
Sections 3-132.2, 3-134, and 3-136), which relate to
the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act; modifying
definitions; specifying who may contract with a
sponsor to operate a charter school; eliminating
provisions related to sectarian and religious
prohibitions; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 2, Chapter 323, O.S.L.
2023 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 3-132.2), is amended to read as
follows:
Section 3-132.2. A. Beginning July 1, 2024, and subject to the
requirements of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act, the Statewide
Charter School Board shall:
1. Provide supervision, services, and oversight of the
operations of statewide virtual charter schools in this state and
charter schools for which the Statewide Charter School Board is the
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sponsor, recommend legislation pertaining to charter schools to the
Legislature, and promulgate rules and policies that the Board deems
necessary to accomplish the purposes prescribed in this section;
2. Ensure compliance with state laws and training requirements
for all charter schools, virtual charter schools, and sponsors;
3. Establish a procedure for accepting, approving, and
disapproving charter school and statewide virtual charter school
applications and a process for renewal or revocation of approved
charter contracts which meet the procedures set forth in the
Oklahoma Charter Schools Act;
4. Hire an Executive Director and other staff for its
operation;
5. Prepare a budget for expenditures necessary for the proper
maintenance of the Board and accomplishment of its purpose;
6. Comply with the requirements of the Oklahoma Open Meeting
Act and Oklahoma Open Records Act; and
7. Give priority to opening charter schools and virtual charter
schools that serve at-risk student populations or students from low-
performing traditional public schools.
B. The State Board of Education shall be responsible for
accreditation of charter schools and virtual charter schools and
ensure compliance with special education laws and federal laws and
programs administered by the State Board of Education.
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C. 1. For purposes of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act,
"charter school" means:
a. prior to July 1, 2024, a public school established by
contract with a school district board of education, a
technology center school district, a higher education
institution, a federally recognized Indian tribe, or
the State Board of Education, and
b. on July 1, 2024, and after, a public school
established by a public or private contractor
operating under contract with a school district board
of education, a higher education institution, an
institution of higher learning accredited pursuant to
Section 4103 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, a
federally recognized Indian tribe, or the Statewide
Charter School Board,
to provide learning that will improve student achievement and as
defined in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as
reauthorized by P.L. No. 114-95, also known as the Every Student
Succeeds Act.
2. A charter school may consist of a new school site, new
school sites, or all or any portion of an existing school site. An
entire school district may not become a charter school site.
D. 1. For the purposes of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act,
"conversion school" means a school created by converting all or any
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part of a traditional public school in order to access any or all
flexibilities afforded to a charter school; provided, however, all
or any part of a traditional public school shall not be converted to
a virtual charter school.
2. Prior to the board of education of a school district
converting all or any part of a traditional public school to a
conversion school, the board shall prepare a conversion plan. The
conversion plan shall include documentation that demonstrates and
complies with paragraphs 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,
19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 34, and 35 of subsection B of Section 3-134
of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The conversion plan and all
documents shall be in writing and shall be available to the public
pursuant to the requirements of the Oklahoma Open Records Act. All
votes by the board of education of a school district to approve a
conversion plan shall be held in an open public session. If the
board of education of a school district votes to approve a
conversion plan, the board shall notify the State Board of Education
within sixty (60) days after the vote. The notification shall
include a copy of the minutes for the board meeting at which the
conversion plan was approved.
3. A conversion school shall comply with all the same
accountability measures as are required of a charter school as
defined in subsection C of this section. The provisions of Sections
3-140 and 3-142 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall not apply
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to a conversion school. Conversion schools shall comply with the
same laws and State Board of Education rules relating to student
enrollment which apply to traditional public schools. Conversion
schools shall be funded by the board of education of the school
district as a school site within the school district and funding
shall not be affected by the conversion of the school.
4. The board of education of a school district may vote to
revert a conversion school back to a traditional public school at
any time; provided, the change shall only occur during a break
between school years.
5. Unless otherwise provided for in this subsection, a
conversion school shall retain the characteristics of a traditional
public school.
E. 1. Beginning July 1, 2024, the Statewide Charter School
Board shall make publicly available a list of supplemental online
courses which have been reviewed and certified by the Board to
ensure that the courses are high-quality options and are aligned
with the subject matter standards adopted by the State Board of
Education pursuant to Section 11-103.6 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma
Statutes. The Statewide Charter School Board shall give special
emphasis on listing supplemental online courses in science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM), foreign language, and
advanced placement courses. School districts shall not be limited
to selecting supplemental online courses that have been reviewed and
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certified by the Statewide Charter School Board and listed as
provided for in this paragraph.
2. In conjunction with the Office of Management and Enterprise
Services, the Board shall negotiate and enter into contracts with
supplemental online course providers to offer a state rate price to
school districts for supplemental online courses that have been
reviewed and certified by the Statewide Charter School Board and
listed as provided for in this subsection.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 3-134, as
last amended by Section 6, Chapter 323, O.S.L. 2023 (70 O.S. Supp.
2024, Section 3-134), is amended to read as follows:
Section 3-134. A. For written applications filed after July 1,
2024, prior to submission of the application to a proposed sponsor
seeking to establish a charter school or to the Statewide Charter
School Board to establish a virtual charter school, the applicant
shall be required to complete training which shall not exceed ten
(10) hours provided by the Statewide Charter School Board on the
process and requirements for establishing a charter school or
virtual charter school. The sponsor of a charter school that enters
into a new or renewed sponsorship contract on or after July 1, 2024,
shall be required to complete training provided by the Statewide
Charter School Board or an organization approved by the Statewide
Charter School Board on the oversight duties of the sponsor. The
Board shall develop and implement the training and publish a list of
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organizations approved to provide training by July 1, 2024. The
Board and organizations approved by the Board may provide the
training in any format and manner determined to be efficient and
effective including, but not limited to, web-based training.
B. Except as otherwise provided for in Section 3-137 of this
title, an applicant seeking to establish a virtual charter school
shall submit a written application to the Statewide Charter School
Board, and an applicant seeking to establish a charter school shall
submit a written application to the proposed sponsor as provided for
in subsection E of this section. The application shall include:
1. A mission statement for the charter school or virtual
charter school;
2. A description including, but not limited to, background
information of the organizational structure and the governing board
of the charter school or virtual charter school;
3. A financial plan for the first five (5) years of operation
of the charter school or virtual charter school and a description of
the treasurer or other officers or persons who shall have primary
responsibility for the finances of the charter school or virtual
charter school. Such person shall have demonstrated experience in
school finance or the equivalent thereof;
4. A description of the hiring policy of the charter school or
virtual charter school;
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5. The name of the applicant or applicants and requested
sponsor;
6. A description of the facility and location of the charter
school;
7. A description of the grades being served;
8. An outline of criteria designed to measure the effectiveness
of the charter school or virtual charter school;
9. Documentation that the applicants completed training as set
forth in subsection A of this section;
10. A description of the minimum and maximum enrollment planned
per year for each term of the charter contract;
11. The proposed calendar for the charter school or virtual
charter school and sample daily schedule;
12. Unless otherwise authorized by law or regulation, a
description of the academic program aligned with state standards;
13. A description of the instructional design of the charter
school or virtual charter school including the type of learning
environment, class size and structure, curriculum overview, and
teaching methods;
14. The plan for using internal and external assessments to
measure and report student progress on the performance framework
developed by the applicant in accordance with Section 3-136 of this
title;
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15. The plans for identifying and successfully serving students
with disabilities, students who are English language learners, and
students who are academically behind;
16. A description of cocurricular or extracurricular programs
and how they will be funded and delivered;
17. Plans and time lines for student recruitment and enrollment
including lottery procedures;
18. The student discipline policies for the charter school or
virtual charter school including those for special education
students;
19. An organizational chart that clearly presents the
organizational structure of the charter school or virtual charter
school, including lines of authority and reporting between the
governing board, staff, any related bodies such as advisory bodies
or parent and teacher councils, and any external organizations that
will play a role in managing the school;
20. A clear description of the roles and responsibilities for
the governing board, the leadership and management team for the
charter school or virtual charter school, and any other entities
shown in the organizational chart;
21. The leadership and teacher employment policies for the
charter school or virtual charter school;
22. Proposed governing bylaws;
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23. Explanations of any partnerships or contractual
partnerships central to the operations or mission of the charter
school or virtual charter school;
24. The plans for providing transportation, food service, and
all other significant operational or ancillary services;
25. Opportunities and expectations for parental involvement;
26. A detailed school start-up plan that identifies tasks, time
lines, and responsible individuals;
27. A description of the financial plan and policies for the
charter school or virtual charter school including financial
controls and audit requirements;
28. A description of the insurance coverage the charter school
or virtual charter school will obtain;
29. Start-up and five-year budgets with clearly stated
assumptions;
30. Start-up and first-year cash-flow projections with clearly
stated assumptions;
31. Evidence of anticipated fundraising contributions, if
claimed in the application;
32. A sound facilities plan including backup or contingency
plans if appropriate;
33. A requirement that the charter school or virtual charter
school governing board meet no fewer than ten (10) months of the
year in the state and that for those charter schools outside of
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counties with a population of five hundred thousand (500,000) or
more, that a minimum of two (2) members are residents within the
geographic boundary of the charter school;
34. A requirement that the charter school or virtual charter
school follow the requirements of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act and
Oklahoma Open Records Act; and
35. A copy of any proposed contract between the governing board
of a charter school or virtual charter school and an educational
management organization, as defined by Section 5-200 of this title,
which meets the requirements of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act.
C. A board of education of a public school district, public
body, public or private college or university, private person, or
private organization may contract with a sponsor to establish
operate a charter school or virtual charter school. A An operating
private school shall not be eligible to contract for a charter
school or virtual charter school under the provisions of the
Oklahoma Charter Schools Act.
D. The sponsor of a charter school is the board of education of
a school district, a higher education institution, a private
institution of higher learning accredited pursuant to Section 4103
of this title, a federally recognized Indian tribe which meets the
criteria established in Section 3-132 of this title, or beginning
July 1, 2024, the Statewide Charter School Board. Any sponsor
authorized pursuant to subsection A of Section 3-132 of this title
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may sponsor one or more charter schools. The physical location of a
charter school sponsored by a board of education of a school
district shall be within the boundaries of the sponsoring school
district. The physical location of a charter school sponsored by
the Statewide Charter School Board pursuant to paragraph 6 of
subsection A of Section 3-132 of this title shall be in the school
district in which the application originated.
E. 1. Beginning July 1, 2024, any application seeking to
establish a charter school in this state shall be submitted first to
the school district in which the proposed charter school is to be
located. The school district board of education shall approve or
deny the application within sixty (60) days of receipt of the
application. If the charter school application is denied, nothing
shall prohibit an applicant from submitting a revised application to
the school district board of education, which shall approve or deny
the revised application within sixty (60) days of receipt of the
application.
2. An applicant for a charter school that has been denied
pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection may submit an application
to a proposed sponsor listed in paragraphs 2 through 6 of subsection
A of Section 3-132 of this title, which shall either accept or
reject sponsorship of the charter school within ninety (90) days of
receipt of the application. If the proposed sponsor rejects the
application, it shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons
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for the rejection. The applicant may submit a revised application
for reconsideration to the proposed sponsor within thirty (30) days
after receiving notification of the rejection. The proposed sponsor
shall accept or reject the revised application within thirty (30)
days of its receipt.
3. Beginning July 1, 2024, an applicant for a virtual charter
school shall submit an application to the Statewide Charter School
Board, which shall either accept or reject sponsorship of the
virtual charter school within ninety (90) days of receipt of the
application. If the application is rejected, the Statewide Charter
School Board shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons
for the rejection. The applicant may submit a revised application
for reconsideration to the Statewide Charter school School Board
within thirty (30) days after receiving notification of the
rejection. The Statewide Charter School Board shall accept or
reject the revised application within thirty (30) days of its
receipt.
F. A board of education of a school district, a higher
education institution, a private institution of higher learning
accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of this title, or a federally
recognized Indian tribe shall notify the State Board of Education
and the Statewide Charter School Board when it accepts sponsorship
of a charter school. The notification shall include a copy of the
charter of the charter school.
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G. Applicants for charter schools and virtual charter schools
proposed to be sponsored by the Statewide Charter School Board may,
upon rejection of a revised application, proceed to binding
arbitration under the commercial rules of the American Arbitration
Association with costs of the arbitration to be borne by the
applicant.
H. If a board of education of a school district, a higher
education institution, a private institution of higher learning
accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of this title, or a federally
recognized Indian tribe accepts sponsorship of a charter school, the
administrative, fiscal, and oversight responsibilities of the school
district, the higher education institution, the private institution
of higher learning accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of this
title, or the federally recognized Indian tribe shall be listed in
the contract. No administrative, fiscal, or oversight
responsibilities of a charter school shall be delegated to a school
district unless the school district agrees to enter into a contract
to assume the responsibilities.
I. A sponsor of a public charter school shall have the
following powers and duties over charter schools it sponsors, and
the Statewide Charter School Board shall have the following powers
and duties over the charter schools and virtual charter schools it
sponsors:
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1. Provide services and oversight of the operations of charter
schools or virtual charter schools in the state through annual
performance reviews and reauthorization;
2. Solicit and evaluate charter applications;
3. Approve quality charter applications that meet identified
educational needs and promote a diversity of educational choices;
4. Decline to approve weak or inadequate charter applications;
5. Negotiate and execute sound charter contracts with each
approved public charter school or virtual charter school;
6. Approve or deny proposed contracts between the governing
board of a charter school or virtual charter school and an
educational management organization, as defined by section Section
5-200 of this title;
7. Monitor, in accordance with charter contract terms, the
performance and legal compliance of charter schools and virtual
charter schools; and
8. Determine whether each charter contract merits renewal,
nonrenewal, or revocation.
J. Sponsors shall establish a procedure for accepting,
approving, and disapproving charter school applications in
accordance with subsection E of this section. The Statewide Charter
School Board shall post its application, application process, and
application time frames on the Board's website.
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K. Sponsors including the Statewide Charter School Board shall
develop and maintain chartering policies and practices consistent
with recognized principles and standards for quality charter
sponsoring in all major areas of sponsoring responsibility including
organizational capacity and infrastructure, soliciting and
evaluating charter school and virtual charter school applications,
performance contracting, ongoing charter school and virtual charter
school oversight and evaluation, and charter contract renewal
decision-making.
L. Sponsors acting in their official capacity shall be immune
from civil and criminal liability with respect to all activities
related to a charter school with which they contract.
SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 3-136, as
amended by Section 7, Chapter 323, O.S.L. 2023 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024,
Section 3-136), is amended to read as follows:
Section 3-136. A. Beginning July 1, 2024, a written contract
entered into between the Statewide Charter School Board and the
governing board of a charter school or statewide virtual charter
school or a written contract entered into between a sponsor and the
governing board of a charter school shall ensure compliance with the
following:
1. Except as provided for in the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act,
a charter school and virtual charter school shall be exempt from all
statutes and rules relating to schools, boards of education, and
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school districts; provided, however, a charter school or virtual
charter school shall comply with all federal regulations and state
and local rules and statutes relating to health, safety, civil
rights, and insurance. By January 1, 2000, the State Department of
Education shall prepare a list of relevant rules and statutes which
a charter school and virtual charter school must comply with as
required by this paragraph and shall annually provide an update to
the list;
2. A charter school shall be nonsectarian in its programs,
admission policies, employment practices, and all other operations.
A sponsor may not authorize a charter school or program that is
affiliated with a nonpublic sectarian school or religious
institution;
3. The charter contract shall provide a description of the
educational program to be offered. A charter school or virtual
charter school may provide a comprehensive program of instruction
for a prekindergarten program, a kindergarten program, or any grade
between grades one and twelve. Instruction may be provided to all
persons between four (4) and twenty-one (21) years of age. A
charter school or virtual charter school may offer a curriculum
which emphasizes a specific learning philosophy or style or certain
subject areas such as mathematics, science, fine arts, performance
arts, or foreign language. The charter of a charter school or
virtual charter school which offers grades nine through twelve shall
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specifically address whether the charter school or virtual charter
school will comply with the graduation requirements established in
Section 11-103.6 of this title. No charter school shall be
chartered for the purpose of offering a curriculum for deaf or blind
students that is the same or similar to the curriculum being
provided by or for educating deaf or blind students that are being
served by the Oklahoma School for the Blind or the Oklahoma School
for the Deaf;
4. 3. A charter school or virtual charter school shall
participate in the testing as required by the Oklahoma School
Testing Program Act and the reporting of test results as is required
of a school district. A charter school or virtual charter school
shall also provide any necessary data to the Office of
Accountability within the State Department of Education;
5. 4. A charter school or virtual charter school shall be
subject to the same reporting requirements, financial audits, audit
procedures, and audit requirements as a school district. The State
Department of Education or State Auditor and Inspector may conduct
financial, program, or compliance audits. The Statewide Charter
School Board may request that the State Auditor and Inspector
conduct a financial, program, or compliance audit for any charter
school or virtual charter school it oversees. A charter school or
virtual charter school shall use the Oklahoma Cost Accounting System
to report financial transactions to the State Department of
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Education. The charter school or virtual charter school shall be
subject to the limitations on spending, including provisions of the
Oklahoma Constitution, for any funds received from the state, either
through the State Department of Education or other sources;
6. 5. A charter school or virtual charter school shall comply
with all federal and state laws relating to the education of
children with disabilities in the same manner as a school district;
7. 6. A charter school or virtual charter school shall provide
for a governing board for the school which shall be responsible for
the policies and operational decisions of the charter school or
virtual charter school. All of the charter school or virtual
charter school governing board members shall be residents of this
state and shall meet no fewer than ten (10) months of the year in a
public meeting within the boundaries of the school district in which
the charter school is located or within this state if the governing
board oversees multiple charter schools in this state or oversees a
virtual charter school. The governing board of a charter school or
virtual charter school shall be subject to the same conflict of
interest requirements as a member of a school district board of
education including but not limited to Sections 5-113 and 5-124 of
this title. Members appointed to the governing board of a charter
school or virtual charter school shall be subject to the same
instruction and continuing education requirements as a member of a
school district board of education and pursuant to Section 5-110 of
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this title shall complete twelve (12) hours of instruction within
fifteen (15) months of appointment to the governing board and
pursuant to Section 5-110.1 of this title shall attend continuing
education;
8. 7. A charter school or virtual charter school shall not be
used as a method of generating revenue for students who are being
home schooled and are not being educated at an organized charter
school site or by a virtual charter school;
9. 8. A charter school or virtual charter school shall be as
equally free and open to all students as traditional public schools
and shall not charge tuition or fees;
10. 9. A charter school or virtual charter school shall provide
instruction each year for at least the number of days or hours
required in Section 1-109 of this title;
11. 10. A charter school or virtual charter school shall comply
with the student suspension requirements provided for in Section 24-
101.3 of this title;
12. 11. A charter school or virtual charter school shall be
considered a school district for purposes of tort liability under
The Governmental Tort Claims Act;
13. 12. Employees of a charter school or virtual charter school
may participate as members of the Teachers' Retirement System of
Oklahoma in accordance with applicable statutes and rules if
otherwise allowed pursuant to law;
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14. 13. A charter school or virtual charter school may
participate in all health and related insurance programs available
to employees of a public school district;
15. 14. A charter school or virtual charter school and their
respective governing boards shall comply with the Oklahoma Open
Meeting Act and the Oklahoma Open Records Act;
16. 15. The governing board of a charter school or virtual
charter school shall notify the sponsor within ten (10) business
days in the instance of any significant adverse actions, material
findings of noncompliance, or pending actions, claims, or
proceedings in this state relating to the charter school, the
virtual charter school, or an educational management organization
with which the charter school or virtual charter school has a
contract;
17. 16. No later than September 1 each year, the governing
board of each charter school or virtual charter school formed
pursuant to the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act shall prepare a
statement of actual income and expenditures for the charter school
or virtual charter school for the fiscal year that ended on the
preceding June 30, in a manner compliant with Section 5-135 of this
title. The statement of expenditures shall include functional
categories as defined in rules adopted by the State Board of
Education to implement the Oklahoma Cost Accounting System pursuant
to Section 5-145 of this title. Charter schools and virtual charter
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schools shall not be permitted to submit estimates of expenditures
or prorated amounts to fulfill the requirements of this paragraph;
and
18. 17. A charter school or virtual charter school contract
shall include performance provisions based on a performance
framework that clearly sets forth the academic and operational
performance indicators that shall be used by charter school and
virtual charter school sponsors to evaluate their respective
schools. The sponsor may develop a separate performance framework
to evaluate a charter school or virtual charter school that has been
designated by the State Department of Education as implementing an
alternative education program throughout the school. The sponsor
shall require a charter school or virtual charter school to submit
the data required in this subsection in the identical format that is
required by the State Department of Education of all public schools
in order to avoid duplicative administrative efforts or allow a
charter school or virtual charter school to provide permission to
the Department to share all required data with the Board. The
performance framework shall serve as the minimum requirement for
charter school and virtual charter school performance evaluation and
shall include, but not be limited to, the following indicators:
a. student academic proficiency,
b. student academic growth,
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c. achievement gaps in both proficiency and growth
between major student subgroups,
d. student attendance,
e. recurrent enrollment from year to year as determined
by the methodology used for public schools in
Oklahoma,
f. in the case of high schools, graduation rates as
determined by the methodology used for public schools
in Oklahoma,
g. in the case of high schools, postsecondary readiness,
h. financial performance and sustainability and
compliance with state and Internal Revenue Service
financial reporting requirements,
i. audit findings or deficiencies,
j. accreditation and timely reporting,
k. governing board performance and stewardship including
compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and
terms of the charter contract, and
l. mobility of student population for the virtual charter
school framework.
The sponsor including the Statewide Charter School Board shall
annually evaluate its charter schools or virtual charter schools
according to the performance framework. The results of the
evaluation shall be presented to the governing board of the charter
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school or virtual charter school and the governing board of the
charter school sponsor in an open meeting.
B. An applicant or the governing board of an applicant may hold
one or more charter contracts. Each charter school or virtual
charter school that is part of a charter contract shall be separate
and distinct from any other charter school or virtual charter
school. For the purposes of this subsection, "separate and
distinct" shall mean that a charter school or virtual charter school
governing board with oversight of more than one charter school or
virtual charter school shall not combine accounting, budgeting,
recordkeeping, admissions, employment, or policies and operational
decisions of the charter schools or virtual charter schools it
oversees.
C. The charter contract of a charter school or virtual charter
school shall include a description of the personnel policies,
personnel qualifications, and method of school governance. A
charter school or virtual charter school shall not enter into an
employment contract with any teacher or other personnel until a
contract has been executed with its sponsor. The employment
contract shall set forth the personnel policies of the charter
school or virtual charter school including, but not limited to,
policies related to certification, professional development,
evaluation, suspension, dismissal and nonreemployment, sick leave,
personal business leave, emergency leave, and family and medical
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leave. The contract shall also specifically set forth the salary,
hours, fringe benefits, and work conditions. The contract may
provide for employer-employee bargaining, but the charter school or
virtual charter school shall not be required to comply with the
provisions of Sections 509.1 through 509.10 of this title.
Upon contracting with any teacher or other personnel, the
governing board of a charter school or virtual charter school shall,
in writing, disclose employment rights of the employees in the event
the charter school or virtual charter school closes or the charter
contract is not renewed.
No charter school or virtual charter school may begin serving
students without a contract executed in accordance with the
provisions of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act and approved in an
open meeting of the governing board of the sponsor or the Statewide
Charter School Board. The governing board of the sponsor or the
Statewide Charter School Board may establish reasonable preopening
requirements or conditions to monitor the start-up progress of newly
approved charter schools or virtual charter schools and ensure that
each brick-and-mortar school is prepared to open smoothly on the
date agreed and to ensure that each school meets all building,
health, safety, insurance, and other legal requirements for the
opening of a school.
D. The charter of a charter school or virtual charter school
may be amended at the request of the governing board of the charter
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school or virtual charter school and upon the approval of the
sponsor.
E. A charter school or virtual charter school may enter into
contracts and sue and be sued.
F. The governing board of a charter school or virtual charter
school shall not levy taxes or issue bonds. A school district that
proposes a bond shall include any charter school established
pursuant to subsection A of Section 3-132 of this title and located
within the school district in planning conversations regarding the
bond.
G. The charter of a charter school or virtual charter school
shall include a provision specifying the method or methods to be
employed for disposing of real and personal property acquired by the
charter school or virtual charter school upon expiration or
termination of the charter or failure of the charter school or
virtual charter school to continue operations. Except as otherwise
provided, any real or personal property purchased with state or
local funds shall be retained by the sponsor. If a charter school
that was previously sponsored by the board of education of a school
district continues operation within the school district under a new
charter sponsored by an entity authorized pursuant to Section 3-132
of this title, the charter school may retain any personal property
purchased with state or local funds for use in the operation of the
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charter school until termination of the new charter or failure of
the charter school to continue operations.
SECTION 4. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
60-1-10556 SW 12/19/24