House Amendment 8243
PAG LIN
1 1 Amend Senate File 2288, as amended, passed, and
1 2 reprinted by the Senate, as follows:
1 3 #1. Page 5, after line 7 by inserting:
1 4 <Sec. ___. NEW SECTION. 256F.14 Innovative charter
1 5 schools.
1 6 1. The board of directors of a school district, the
1 7 administrators of an accredited nonpublic school, the
1 8 board of directors of a community college, the state
1 9 board of regents, an accredited private institution
1 10 as defined in section 261.9, or a private nonprofit
1 11 corporation organized under chapter 504 may submit
1 12 an application to the state board to establish an
1 13 innovative charter school. The state board shall
1 14 adopt rules specifying the criteria for approval of
1 15 innovative charter schools. The department shall
1 16 develop an application process. The applicant shall
1 17 specify in its application all of the following:
1 18 a. Mission and instructional focus of the school.
1 19 b. Organizational structure and management of the
1 20 school.
1 21 c. Impact of labor agreements and contracts on the
1 22 success of the school.
1 23 d. Roles and responsibilities of all involved
1 24 constituencies.
1 25 e. Arrangements for special needs students.
1 26 f. Connection of the school to the school district.
1 27 g. Facility and operation costs.
1 28 h. Methods for measuring results, including but not
1 29 limited to student achievement results.
1 30 2. For purposes of this section, "innovative charter
1 31 school" means a school that is nonsectarian in its
1 32 program, admission policies, employment practices, and
1 33 all other operations. The school is a public school
1 34 and is part of the state's system of public education.
1 35 The primary focus of an innovative charter school shall
1 36 be to provide a comprehensive program of instruction
1 37 for at least one grade or age group from five through
1 38 eighteen years of age. Innovative charter schools
1 39 may be designed to allow significant autonomy to the
1 40 schools. However, innovative charter schools shall be
1 41 accountable for significant results.
1 42 3. Except as provided in this subsection,
1 43 innovative charter schools are exempt from all statutes
1 44 and rules applicable to a school, a school board, or a
1 45 school district, although an innovative charter school
1 46 may elect to comply with one or more provisions of
1 47 statute or rule. However, an innovative charter school
1 48 shall meet all applicable state and local health and
1 49 safety requirements; an innovative charter school shall
1 50 be organized and operated as a nonprofit corporation
2 1 under chapter 504; the provisions of chapters 21
2 2 and 22 shall apply to meetings and records of an
2 3 innovative charter school board; and an innovative
2 4 charter school is subject to and shall comply with
2 5 chapters 216 and 216A relating to civil and human
2 6 rights, and sections 275.55A, 279.9A, 280.17B, 280.21B,
2 7 and 282.4, relating to suspension and expulsion of a
2 8 student. The innovative charter school shall employ or
2 9 contract with necessary teachers, as defined in section
2 10 272.1, who hold a valid license with an endorsement
2 11 for the type of service for which the teacher is
2 12 employed. Innovative charter schools are subject
2 13 to the same financial audits, audit procedures, and
2 14 audit requirements as a school district. The audits
2 15 shall be consistent with the requirements of sections
2 16 11.6, 11.14, 11.19, 256.9, subsection 19, and section
2 17 279.29, except to the extent deviations are necessary
2 18 because of the program at the school. The department,
2 19 auditor of state, or the legislative services agency
2 20 may conduct financial, program, or compliance audits.
2 21 The provisions of chapter 20 shall not apply to the
2 22 board of directors of an innovative charter school or
2 23 its employees.
2 24 4. A student enrolled in an innovative charter
2 25 school shall be counted, for state school foundation
2 26 aid purposes, in the student's district of residence.
2 27 A student's residence, for purposes of this section,
2 28 means a residence under section 282.1. The board of
2 29 directors of the district of residence shall pay to the
2 30 innovative charter school the state cost per pupil for
2 31 the previous school year, plus any moneys received for
2 32 the student as a result of the non=English speaking
2 33 weighting under section 280.4, subsection 3, for the
2 34 previous school year multiplied by the state cost per
2 35 pupil for the previous year.>
2 36 #2. Title page, line 2, after <education> by
2 37 inserting <, innovative charter schools,>
2 38 #3. By renumbering as necessary.
MAY of Dickinson
DOLECHECK of Ringgold
CHAMBERS of O'Brien
RAECKER of Polk
TYMESON of Madison
SF2288.1549 (2) 83
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