Revises provisions governing charter schools. (BDR 34-259)

Existing law creates the State Public Charter School Authority for the purpose of, among other duties: (1) sponsoring charter schools; and (2) providing oversight to the charter schools it sponsors. (NRS 388A.150) Existing law further establishes that the Authority consists of nine members, the manner of appointing those members and the qualifications of those members. (NRS 388A.153) Section 1 of this bill provides that the nine members appointed under existing law are the voting members of the Authority and that the voting members must be at least 21 years of age. Section 1 also establishes the requirements governing the members of the Authority that apply to all members, including voting and nonvoting members, and the requirements that apply only to voting members. Section 2 of this bill makes a conforming change to clarify that only voting members of the Authority are required to complete certain training required by existing law. (NRS 388A.155) Section 3 of this bill makes a conforming change to clarify that a majority of the voting members, rather than all members: (1) is authorized to call a meeting of the Authority; and (2) constitutes a quorum to enable the Authority to exercise its power and authority. (NRS 388A.156) Under existing law, the number of members of the Authority who may be teachers or administrators employed by a charter school or charter management organization in this State is limited to two members. (NRS 388A.153) Section 1 revises the qualifications for a teacher or administrator employed by a charter school or charter management organization to be eligible to serve as a member of the Authority by: (1) removing the requirement that the charter school or charter management organization employing the teacher or administrator must not have ever received an annual rating established as one of the three lowest ratings of performance pursuant to the statewide system of accountability for public schools; and (2) instead, requiring that the charter school at which the teacher or administrator is employed must be in good standing according to the performance framework set forth in its charter contract. Existing law prohibits a member of the Authority, other than a member who is a teacher or administrator employed by a charter school or charter management organization, from being actively engaged in business with or holding certain interests relating to charter schools. (NRS 388A.153) Under existing law, a charter school is defined as a charter school organized under the laws of this State. (NRS 385.007) Section 1 provides that the prohibition against a member of the Authority being actively engaged in business with or holding certain interests relating to charter schools includes, without limitation, such an engagement in business or interest in: (1) an educational management organization providing support or operations to a charter school; or (2) a charter management organization operating a charter school. Existing law deems the Authority to be a local educational agency that is responsible under state and federal law for: (1) providing a free and appropriate public education to each pupil enrolled in a charter school sponsored by the Authority; (2) the provision of special education and related services by a charter school; and (3) directing money available from certain federal and state grant programs to charter schools sponsored by the Authority, a college or university within the Nevada System of Higher Education or a city or county. (NRS 388A.159) Section 4 of this bill removes the requirement for a college or university within the System, or a city or county, that sponsors a charter school to enter into an agreement with the Authority for the provision of any necessary functions of a local educational agency. Instead, section 4 deems a college or university within the System, or a city or county, to be a local educational agency, thereby making the college or university, or city or county, responsible for performing the functions of a local educational agency under state and federal law for the charter schools it sponsors. Under existing law, the governing body of a charter school seeking to renew its charter contract is required to submit an application for renewal to the sponsor of the charter school on or before October 15 of the final school year in which the charter school is authorized to operate. Existing law requires the application for renewal to include, without limitation, any information or data that: (1) the governing body of the charter school determines supports the renewal of the charter contract; and (2) is in addition to the information contained in the required performance report previously submitted to the governing body by the sponsor and any written response to that report. (NRS 388A.285) Section 5 of this bill clarifies that any information or data to support the renewal of the charter contract is information or data other than the previously submitted performance report and any written response to that report.