SB 2293 is the major piece of legislation affecting charter schools this year. 

NOT A POLITICAL SUBDIVISION.  It specifies that an OECS (Open Enrollment Charter School) operated by a tax exempt entity is not a political subdivision, a local government or a local governmental entity unless the applicable statute is made applicable to charters by the statute or by a provision in Chapter 12 of the Education Code. 

COMMON APPLICATION FORM.  The Commissioner will create a common admission application form which must be used by all charters. However, those charters that specialize in a performing art may require an audition as well. This is not in effect until the 2020-21 school year. The form must be adopted by the Commissioner by January 1, 2020.

ABOUT THOSE WAITING LISTS…. The Commissioner will develop guidelines for waiting lists for charters that have more eligible applicants than available positions. Goes into effect with the 2020-21 school year, but the guidelines must be adopted by January 1, 2020.

REPORTING TO TEA.  By the last Friday of October, the charter must report to the Agency for each campus 1) the number of students enrolled; 2) the school’s capacity; 3) if the charter uses a waiting list, the total number of students on it, and the numbers disaggregated by grade.  The charter must also report the same information aggregated for all campuses operating under the charter.

The charter must also provide information required by the Commissioner so as to identify each student admitted to or on a waiting list who is or was previously enrolled in a public school.

CORPORATE AFFILIATES. The Commissioner will identify each group of charter holders the Commissioner considers to be corporate affiliates or substantially related charter holders, and will aggregate the information for each group of charter holders.  Not later than March 15, the Commissioner will post this information on the TEA website.

All of this reporting goes into effect with the 2020-21 school year.

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING?  Our laws that prohibit collective bargaining and strikes by public employees apply to charters.  However, any collective bargaining agreement entered into prior to the effective date of this act remains in effect. But it cannot be renewed.

DAWG BONE: WE LOOK FORWARD TO INFORMATION ABOUT THAT WAITING LIST.

Tomorrow: Has the Doe family moved into your district?