HOUSE BILLS

HB 388 LEAVE OF ABSENCE (Author: P. Smith)

Removes from the law the leave of absence provision that requires a local school board grant a leave of absence, not to exceed three years, to any employee in its school system requesting such leave in order to be employed in a charter school.

Provides also that the transfer of a local school board employee to a Type 4 charter school shall be governed by the transfer policy of the local school board.

HB 420 CHARTER SCHOOL FUNDING (Author: W. Leger)

Relative to the use of certain local revenues for computing and allocating the per pupil amount provided to all charter schools, specifies use of current year rather than prior year amounts in such computations and allocations. Also deletes provision requiring certain minimum per pupil funding pursuant to the most recent legislatively approved MFP formula.

HB 658 TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF LA (Author: Ritchie)

Current law allows a charter school to choose to participate in the Teacher's Retirement System of LA (TRSL) or not. The proposed law removes the choice and requires all charter school teachers to participate in TRSL.

HB 1128 SPECIAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (Author: W. Leger)

Establishes certain requirements for BESE and local school boards relative to charter schools including that BESE shall develop a model compliance plan for providing special education and related services in charter schools; requires BESE to determine: whether the plan provides for a master plan for improving behavior and discipline, whether the plan provides for collecting data, and whether it provides a compliance plan for the provision of special education and related services.

Proposed requirements for charter schools:

1. The proposed charter must provide a plan for meeting the needs of students with exceptionalities.
2. A plan to educate parents on their educational rights under state and federal law.
3. Include research-based discipline programs, such as positive behavioral interventions and supports, as provided in present law.
4. Include a plan for collecting data for the compilation of progress profiles.

HB 1154 CREATION OF CHARTER SCHOOL COMMISSION (Author: S. Carter)

Provides for the creation and establishment of the La. Charter Schools Commission including its powers, duties, and membership. Also provides for the transfer of certain present law powers, duties, and authority relative to charter schools from BESE to the commission.

SENATE BILLS

SB 66 CREATION OF ATTENDANCE ZONES (Author: Morrell)

Establishes enrollment preferences for students residing within a geographic attendance zone created by the charter school and approved by the charter school's authorizer. Beginning in the 2010-11 school year, thirty percent of the charter school's population must be derived from the specified attendance zone; if such cannot be accomplished by then, it must be accomplished as "quickly as practicable."

SB 74 CHARTER SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARDS (Author: Morrell)

Mandates the creation of a seven-member community advisory board for every school - RSD direct-operated or RSD charter school - in the Recovery School District.

Also prohibits BESE from authorizing a new or conversion charter school in the RSD for which not more than one application was received.

SB 157 FORCED ARBITRATION (Author: Murray)

Demands any dispute between the Recovery School District and a charter school, or the RSD and a city, parish, or other local school board, arising out of a contractual matter shall be referred to and resolved by binding arbitration.

SB 240 OPSB $9 MILLION CARVE-OUT (Author: Murray)

Allows the Orleans Parish School Board to withhold monies otherwise transferrable to the Recovery School District to cover the actual amount expended by the OPSB for the cost of workers' compensation premiums and the employee and employer portions of health insurance benefits for retired employees incurred by the OPSB, not to exceed $9 million annually. These carve-outs are in addition to the carve-outs currently allowed.

SB 274 TRSL MANDATE ONLY FOR FORMER DISTRICT TEACHERS AT CHARTER SCHOOLS (Author: Heitmeier)

Permits charter schools to require only those teachers who were members of TRSL due to previous employment to continue active membership in TRSL throughout the duration of their employment at the charter school. All other teachers may not be eligible to participate in TRSL if the charter school so chooses.

SB 344 LOCAL AUTHORIZER TRANSPARENCY FOR CHARTER APPROVAL AND RENEWAL (Author: Duplessis)

Expands transparency of local authorizers during the approval and renewal process. Specifically, for the approval process, local authorizers now must furnish all application requirements on the local district's website, must review all applications over a 90-day period, and must issue all decisions in writing no later than May 31 st of each year.

For the renewal process, local authorizers must notify a charter operator in writing of any decisions made relative to the renewal or non-renewal of a school's charter not later than January 31st of the year in which the charter would expire.

Finally, for all types of charter schools, a charter school which has met or exceeded the benchmarks established for it in accordance with the school and district accountability system, has demonstrated growth in student achievement, and has had no significant audit findings shall be deemed a high-performing school and its charter shall be automatically renewed.

[NOTE: THIS BILL ALSO CONTAINS LANGUAGE IMPACTING TYPE 2 CONVERSION CHARTER SCHOOLS - IN PARTICULAR, PAYMENT OF A PROPORTIONATE SHARE OF BOND INDEBTEDNESS AND PAYMENT OF RENT UP TO THE FACILITY'S FAIR MARKET VALUE.]

SB 353 NO LOCAL FUNDS TO TYPE 2 SCHOOLS UNLESS A SPECIAL ELECTION SO PERMITS (Author: Nevers)

Prohibits any local revenue to fund a Type 2 charter school unless a special election is held and the voters so decide by a majority vote.

SB 485 SPECIAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (Author: Morrell)

Same language as HB 1128 above

SB 492 FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE BY ALL CHARTER BOARD MEMBERS (Author: Nevers)

Requires each member of the governing authority or management board of a charter school to file a "Tier 2.1" financial disclosure report as required by current Ethics law.