Charter school amendments.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL HOUSE

BILL

NO.
0031

ENROLLED ACT NO.
48
, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FIFTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WYOMING
2007 GENERAL SESSION

AN ACT relating to charter schools; restricting the frequency of charter applications; allowing successive renewal periods; modifying and clarifying the denial and appeal process; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

W.S. 21
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3
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303 by creating a new subsection (e), 21
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308(a) and (d), 21
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309(a) and 21
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310(a) are amended to read:

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303.

Charter school prohibitions.

(e)

For applications filed on and after July 1, 2007, a charter application shall not be considered from any person, group or organization that has previously filed a charter application within a twelve (12) month period and the application was subsequently denied. Computation of the twelve (12) month period under this subsection shall begin on the date the denied application was filed with the district board.

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308.

Hearing by local board; prohibited actions by local board; criteria; compliance with state standards; state board review; contractual authority.

(a)

Not later than thirty (30) days after receiving an application for any charter school as defined in W.S. 21
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302, the district board shall hold a public hearing on the application, at which time the board shall consider the level of community and parental support for the application if an application for a new charter school, or the level of teacher and parental support if an application for a converted charter school or charter school within a school. Following review of the application and the public hearing, if applicable,
and in accordance with subsection (d) of this section,
the district board shall either approve or deny the application within sixty (60) days of receipt. Approval under this article may be conditioned for purposes specified under subsection (c) of this section. In addition, the board may approve an application for the operation of a converted charter school only if it determines teacher and parental support for the conversion are established at the levels required by W.S. 21
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306(b). Prior to approving an application for a charter school under this section, the board shall approve and adopt the content and terms of the contract as provided in W.S. 21
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307.

(d)

Upon the approval of any application by the district board, the applicant shall provide written notice of that approval including a copy of the application to the state superintendent. If the district board denies the application, the board shall
not later than forty-five (45) days following the date of its decision,
notify the applicant of the denial in writing
,
together with its reasons for denial.

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309.

Length of operation under charter; renewal; revocation.

(a)

A charter may be granted pursuant to this article for a period not to exceed five (5) years and may be renewed for
a period
successive periods
not to exceed five (5) years
for each renewal period
. A material revision of the provisions of a charter petition may be made only with the approval of the local board granting the charter.

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310.

Appeal; standard of review; procedures.

(a)

A charter applicant or any other person who wishes to appeal a decision of a district board concerning a charter school shall provide the state board and the district board with a notice of appeal within
thirty (30)
forty-five (45)
days after
receiving
the local board's
written
decision
and reasons for denial
. If the appeal is of a denial, nonrenewal, or revocation of a charter, the person bringing the appeal shall limit the grounds of the appeal to the grounds for denial specified by the district board. The notice shall include a brief statement of the reasons the charter school applicant contends the district board's denial was in error.

Section 2.

This act is effective July 1, 2007.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

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