No. 38623 (Amendment): Rule R277-470. Charter Schools - General Provisions

(Amendment)

DAR File No.: 38623
Filed: 06/16/2014 04:05:55 PM

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

Rule R277-470 is amended to provide additional flexibility for use of mentoring program funds, and make terminology changes.

Summary of the rule or change:

The amendments change "chartering entities" to "charter school authorizers" throughout the rule, remove requirement for the State Charter School Board to annually review the distribution and requirements of start-up grant funds, and revise the mentoring program to allow for an RFP process to award Mentoring Program funds to a qualified individual or organization to provide mentoring in the school's identified areas of need.

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

• Subsection 53A-1-401(3)

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

The amendments to Rule R277-470 require the State Charter School Board to use an RFP application process to allocate mentoring funds to qualified individuals or organizations to meet identified mentoring needs. Although using the RFP process, the Charter School staff at the Utah State Office of Education may have additional responsibilities, it will likely not result in additional costs because costs will be absorbed within the state budget by existing staff.

local governments:

The amendments to this rule provide more flexibility for use of mentoring funds and terminology changes which likely will not result in a cost or savings to local government.

small businesses:

The amendments to this rule provide more flexibility for use of mentoring funds and terminology changes which likely will not result in a cost or savings to small businesses.

persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local governmental entities:

The amendments to this rule provide more flexibility for use of mentoring funds and terminology changes which likely will not result in a cost or savings to persons other than small businesses, businesses, or local government entities.

Compliance costs for affected persons:

The amendments to this rule provide more flexibility for use of mentoring funds and terminology changes which likely will not result in any compliance costs for affected persons.

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

I have reviewed this rule and I believe that there is likely no fiscal impact on businesses.

Martell Menlove, State Superintendent

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Education
Administration
250 E 500 S
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84111-3272

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

• Carol Lear at the above address, by phone at 801-538-7835, by FAX at 801-538-7768, or by Internet E-mail at [e-mail]

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

07/31/2014

This rule may become effective on:

08/07/2014

Authorized by:

Carol Lear, Director, School Law and Legislation

RULE TEXT

R277. Education, Administration.

R277-470. Charter Schools - General Provisions.

R277-470-1. Definitions.

A. "Board" means the Utah State Board of Education.

B. "[Chartering entities]Charter school authorizers" means entities that authorize a charter school under Section 53A-1a-501.3(2).

C. "Charter schools" means schools acknowledged as charter schools by [chartering entities]charter school authorizers under Sections 53A-1a-515, 53A-1a-521, and this rule or by the Board under Section 53A-1a-505.

D. "Charter school governing board" means the board designated by the charter school to make decisions for the operation of the school.

E. "ESEA" means the federal law under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title IX, Part A, 20 U.S.C. 7801.

F. "Expansion" means a proposed increase of students or adding grade level(s) in an operating charter school at a single location.

G. "Mentor," for purposes of the mentoring program, means an individual or organization with [experience as a charter school governing board member, employee, advisor, or a public educator with an area of ]expertise or demonstrated competence, willing to advise charter schools, approved by the State Charter School Board to participate in the mentoring program.

H. "Mentoring program," for purposes of this rule, means the State Charter School Board mentoring program.

I. "Satellite school" means a charter school affiliated with an operating charter school having a common governing board and a similar program of instruction, but located at a different site or in a different geographical area. The parent school and all satellites shall be considered a single local education agency (LEA) for purposes of public school funding and reporting.

J. "State Charter School Board" means the board designated in Section 53A-1a-501.5.

K. "USOE" means the Utah State Office of Education.

L. "Utah Consolidated Application (UCA)" means the web-based grants management tool employed by the Utah State Office of Education by which local education agencies submit plans and budgets for approval of the Utah State Office of Education.

M. "Utah eTranscript and Record Exchange (UTREx)" means a system that allows individual detailed student records to be exchanged electronically between public education local education agencies (LEAs) and the USOE, and allows electronic transcripts to be sent to any post-secondary institution, private or public, in-state or out-of-state, that participates in the e-transcript service.

 

R277-470-2. Authority and Purpose.

A. This rule is authorized under Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3 which vests general control and supervision over public education in the Board, Section 53A-1a-513 which directs the Board to distribute funds for charter school students directly to the charter school, Section 53A-1-401(3) which allows the Board to adopt rules in accordance with its responsibilities, and 20 U.S.C., Section 8063(3) which directs the Board to submit specific information prior to charter schools' receipt of federal funds.

B. The purpose of this rule is to provide directions to charter schools for federal funds and startup and implementation funding. The rule also provides criteria for a charter school mentoring program and additional charter school-specific directives.

 

R277-470-3. Maximum Authorized Charter School Students.

A. Local school boards and institutions of higher education may approve charter schools by notifying the Board by October 1 of the state fiscal year one year prior to opening of proposed charter schools, including authorized numbers of students and other information as required in Sections 53A-1a-515 and 53A-1a-521.

B. The Board, in consultation with the State Charter School Board and [chartering entities]charter school authorizers, may approve schools, expansions and satellite charter schools for the total number of students authorized under Sections 53A-1a-502.5 and 53A-1a-501.9.

C. The number of students requested from all [chartering entities]charter school authorizers shall be considered as students are allocated and approved by the Board.

 

R277-470-4. Charter Schools and ESEA Funds.

A. Charter schools that desire to receive ESEA funds shall comply with the requirements of R277-470-4.

B. To obtain its allocation of ESEA formula funds, a charter school shall complete all appropriate sections of the Utah Consolidated Application (UCA) and identify its economically disadvantaged students in the October UTREx submission.

C. If the school does not operate a federal school lunch program, the school:

(1) shall determine the economically disadvantaged status for its students on the basis of criteria no less stringent than those established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for identifying students who qualify for reduced price lunch for the fiscal year in question; or

(2) may use the Charter School Declaration of Household Income form provided by the USOE for this purpose.

D. A school which does not use the form shall maintain equivalent documentation in its records, which may be subject to audit.

 

R277-470-5. Charter School Start-up and Implementation Grants.

A. Charter schools that desire to receive State Charter School Board start-up and implementation grant funds shall comply with the requirements of R277-470-5.

B. To receive a State Charter School Board start-up or implementation grant, a charter school shall be eligible and meet the requirements consistent with Section 53A-1a-507. New schools and satellite schools are eligible; school expansions are not eligible.

C. Eligible charter schools shall complete an application and may be awarded a grant for no more than 36 months.

D. Only schools that have not received state start-up or implementation grant funds in prior years are eligible.

E. The State Charter School Board shall determine [A]amounts and conditions [of]for distribution of state start-up or implementation grant funds[ shall be determined annually in conjunction with the State Charter School Board's new charter approval process].

F. Grant funds may only be used for allowable expenditures as provided by the State Charter School Board.

G. Grant recipients shall participate in monitoring activities.[

H.] Grant[ee] recipients shall provide monitoring information to the USOE, as directed.

[I]H. Charter schools shall repay grant funds to the State Charter School Board if recipients change to non-charter status within ten years of receiving grant funds. An exception may be made for schools that convert status due to either federal or state law requirements for academic purposes.

 

R277-470-6. Charter School Mentoring Program.

A. [Board-approved or existing charter schools may choose to participate in the mentoring program]The State Charter School Board shall identify critical mentoring needs of charter schools and, through an RFP application process, allocate mentoring funds to one or more qualified individuals or organizations to meet identified needs.

B. [Charter schools choosing to participate in the mentoring program shall submit an application to the USOE, consistent with USOE timelines]Mentoring program participants shall provide information to the USOE as requested.

C. [Subject to the availability of funds, participating charter schools shall be eligible for reimbursement of approved expenditures through the mentoring program if the charter school submits an approved reimbursement form.

D. A mentor shall submit an application to the State Charter School Board to participate in the mentoring program that identifies areas of expertise and demonstrated competencies.

E.  ]The State Charter School Board shall:

(1) receive an annual program report from [the USOE]participating mentors and charter schools; and

(2) evaluate the mentoring program annually.

 

R277-470-7. Charter School Parental Involvement.

A. Charter schools shall encourage and provide opportunities for parental involvement in management decisions at the school level.

B. Charter schools that elect to receive School LAND Trust funds shall have a committee consistent with R277-477-3A.

 

R277-470-8. Transportation.

A. Charter schools are not eligible for to-and-from school transportation funds.

B. A charter school that provides transportation to students shall comply with Utah law Section 53-8-211.

C. A school district may provide transportation for charter school students on a space-available basis on approved routes.

D. School districts may provide transportation or transportation information to [C]charter school students and their parents who participate in transportation by the school district as guests. [shall receive notice of applicable district transportation policies and] Charter schools/charter school students may forfeit with no recourse the privilege of transportation for violation of the policies.

 

R277-470-9. Miscellaneous Provisions.

A. The State Charter School Board shall provide a form on its website for individuals to report threats to health, safety or welfare of students consistent with Section 53A-1a-510(3).

(1) Individuals making reports about threats shall [ be directed to]report suspected criminal activity to local law enforcement and suspected child abuse to local law enforcement or the Division of Child and Family Services consistent with Sections 62A-4a-403 and 53A-11-605(3)(a).

(2) Additionally, individuals may report threats to the health, safety or welfare of students to the charter school governing board.

(a) reports shall be made in writing;

(b) reports shall be timely;

(c) anonymous reports shall not be reviewed further.

(3) Charter school governing boards shall verify that potential criminal activity or suspected child abuse has been reported consistent with state law and this rule.

(4) Charter school governing boards shall act promptly to investigate disciplinary action, if appropriate, against students who may be participants in threatening activities or take appropriate and reasonable action to protect students or both.

B. The Board shall have authority for final approval of all charter schools that receive minimum school program funds. All charter schools shall be subject to accountability standards established by the Board and to monitoring and auditing by the Board.

 

KEY: education, charter schools

Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment: [February 7, ]2014

Notice of Continuation: August 2, 2013

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law: Art X, Sec 3; 53A-1a-515; 53A-1a-505; 53A-1a-513; 53A-1-401(3); 53A-1a-510; 53A-1a-519; 53A-1a-501.5; 53A-1-301; 53A-1a-502.5; 53-8-211; 62A-4a-403; 53A-11-605; 53A-1a-522; 53A-1a-521; 53A-1a-501.3; 53A-1a-513.5; 53A-1a-501.9

 

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