15-183

15-183. Charter schools; application;
requirements; immunity; exemptions; renewal of application;
reprisal; fee; fund

A. An applicant seeking to establish a charter school shall submit a written
application to a proposed sponsor as prescribed in subsection C of this section. The
application shall include a detailed business plan for the charter school and may include
a mission statement for the charter school, a description of the charter school's
organizational structure and the governing body, a financial plan for the first three
years of operation of the charter school, a description of the charter school's hiring
policy, the name of the charter school's applicant or applicants and requested sponsor, a
description of the charter school's facility and the location of the school, a
description of the grades being served and an outline of criteria designed to measure the
effectiveness of the school.

B. The sponsor of a charter school may contract with a public body, private person
or private organization for the purpose of establishing a charter school pursuant to this
article.

C. The sponsor of a charter school may be either a school district governing board,
the state board of education, the state board for charter schools, a university
under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents, a community college district with
enrollment of more than fifteen thousand full-time equivalent students or a group of
community college districts with a combined enrollment of more than fifteen thousand
full-time equivalent students, subject to the following requirements:

1. For charter schools that submit an application for sponsorship to a school
district governing board:

(a) An applicant for a charter school may submit its application to a school
district governing board, which shall either accept or reject sponsorship of the charter
school within ninety days. An applicant may submit a revised application for
reconsideration by the governing board. If the governing board rejects the application,
the governing board shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the
rejection. The applicant may request, and the governing board may provide, technical
assistance to improve the application.

(b) In the first year that a school district is determined to be out of compliance
with the uniform system of financial records, within fifteen days of the determination of
noncompliance, the school district shall notify by certified mail each charter school
sponsored by the school district that the school district is out of compliance with the
uniform system of financial records. The notification shall include a statement that if
the school district is determined to be out of compliance for a second consecutive year,
the charter school will be required to transfer sponsorship to another entity pursuant to
subdivision (c) of this paragraph.

(c) In the second consecutive year that a school district is determined to be out
of compliance with the uniform system of financial records, within fifteen days of the
determination of noncompliance, the school district shall notify by certified mail each
charter school sponsored by the school district that the school district is out of
compliance with the uniform system of financial records. A charter school that receives
a notification of school district noncompliance pursuant to this subdivision shall file a
written sponsorship transfer application within forty-five days with the state board of
education, the state board for charter schools or the school district governing board if
the charter school is located within the geographic boundaries of that school
district. A charter school that receives a notification of school district noncompliance
may request an extension of time to file a sponsorship transfer application, and the
state board of education, the state board for charter schools or a school district
governing board may grant an extension of not more than an additional thirty days if good
cause exists for the extension. The state board of education and the state board for
charter schools shall approve a sponsorship transfer application pursuant to this
paragraph.

(d) A school district governing board shall not grant a charter to a charter school
that is located outside the geographic boundaries of that school district.

(e) A school district that has been determined to be out of compliance with the
uniform system of financial records during either of the previous two fiscal years shall
not sponsor a new or transferring charter school.

2. The applicant may submit the application to the state board of education or the
state board for charter schools. The state board of education or the state board for
charter schools may approve the application if the application meets the requirements of
this article and may approve the charter if the proposed sponsor determines, within its
sole discretion, that the applicant is sufficiently qualified to operate a charter school
and that the applicant is applying to operate as a separate charter holder by considering
factors such as whether:

(a) The schools have separate governing bodies, governing body membership, staff,
facilities, and student population.

(b) Daily operations are carried out by different administrators.

(d) The applicant's charter management organization has multiple charter holders
serving varied grade configurations on one physical site or nearby sites serving one
community.

(e) It is reconstituting an existing school site population at the same or new
site.

(f) It is reconstituting an existing grade configuration from a prior charter
holder with at least one grade remaining on the original site with the other grade or
grades moving to a new site.

The state board of education or the state board for charter schools may approve any
charter schools transferring charters. The state board of education and the state board
for charter schools shall approve any charter schools transferring charters from a school
district that is determined to be out of compliance with the uniform system of financial
records pursuant to this section, but may require the charter school to sign a new
charter that is equivalent to the charter awarded by the former sponsor. If the state
board of education or the state board for charter schools rejects the preliminary
application, the state board of education or the state board for charter schools shall
notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the rejection and of suggestions for
improving the application. An applicant may submit a revised application for
reconsideration by the state board of education or the state board for charter schools.
The applicant may request, and the state board of education or the state board for
charter schools may provide, technical assistance to improve the application.

3. The applicant may submit the application to a university under the jurisdiction
of the Arizona board of regents, a community college district or a group of community
college districts. A university, a community college district or a group of community
college districts may approve the application if it meets the requirements of this
article and if the proposed sponsor determines, in its sole discretion, that the
applicant is sufficiently qualified to operate a charter school.

4. Each applicant seeking to establish a charter school shall submit a full set of
fingerprints to the approving agency for the purpose of obtaining a state and federal
criminal records check pursuant to section 41-1750 and Public Law 92-544. If an applicant
will have direct contact with students, the applicant shall possess a valid fingerprint
clearance card that is issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12, article 3.1. The
department of public safety may exchange this fingerprint data with the federal bureau of
investigation. The criminal records check shall be completed before the issuance of a
charter.

5. All persons engaged in instructional work directly as a classroom, laboratory or
other teacher or indirectly as a supervisory teacher, speech therapist or principal shall
have a valid fingerprint clearance card that is issued pursuant to title 41, chapter 12,
article 3.1, unless the person is a volunteer or guest speaker who is accompanied in the
classroom by a person with a valid fingerprint clearance card. A charter school shall not
employ a teacher whose certificate has been revoked for a violation of section 15-507 or
15-550 or for any offense that placed a pupil in danger. All other personnel shall be
fingerprint checked pursuant to section 15-512. Before employment, the charter school
shall make documented, good faith efforts to contact previous employers of a person to
obtain information and recommendations that may be relevant to a person's fitness for
employment as prescribed in section 15-512, subsection F. The charter school shall notify
the department of public safety if the charter school or sponsor receives credible
evidence that a person who possesses a valid fingerprint clearance card is arrested for
or is charged with an offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B. Charter
schools may hire personnel that have not yet received a fingerprint clearance card if
proof is provided of the submission of an application to the department of public safety
for a fingerprint clearance card and if the charter school that is seeking to hire the
applicant does all of the following:

(a) Documents in the applicant's file the necessity for hiring and placement of the
applicant before receiving a fingerprint clearance card.

(b) Ensures that the department of public safety completes a statewide criminal
records check on the applicant. A statewide criminal records check shall be completed by
the department of public safety every one hundred twenty days until the date that the
fingerprint check is completed.

(c) Obtains references from the applicant's current employer and the two most
recent previous employers except for applicants who have been employed for at least five
years by the applicant's most recent employer.

(d) Provides general supervision of the applicant until the date that the
fingerprint card is obtained.

(e) Completes a search of criminal records in all local jurisdictions outside of
this state in which the applicant has lived in the previous five years.

(f) Verifies the fingerprint status of the applicant with the department of public
safety.

6. A charter school that complies with the fingerprinting requirements of this
section shall be deemed to have complied with section 15-512 and is entitled to the same
rights and protections provided to school districts by section 15-512.

7. If a charter school operator is not already subject to a public meeting or
hearing by the municipality in which the charter school is located, the operator of a
charter school shall conduct a public meeting at least thirty days before the charter
school operator opens a site or sites for the charter school. The charter school operator
shall post notices of the public meeting in at least three different locations that are
within three hundred feet of the proposed charter school site.

8. A person who is employed by a charter school or who is an applicant for
employment with a charter school, who is arrested for or charged with a nonappealable
offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B and who does not immediately report
the arrest or charge to the person's supervisor or potential employer is guilty of
unprofessional conduct and the person shall be immediately dismissed from employment with
the charter school or immediately excluded from potential employment with the charter
school.

9. A person who is employed by a charter school and who is convicted of any
nonappealable offense listed in section 41-1758.03, subsection B or is convicted of any
nonappealable offense that amounts to unprofessional conduct under section 15-550 shall
immediately do all of the following:

(a) Surrender any certificates issued by the department of education.

(b) Notify the person's employer or potential employer of the conviction.

(d) Surrender the person's fingerprint clearance card.

D. An entity that is authorized to sponsor charter schools pursuant to this article
has no legal authority over or responsibility for a charter school sponsored by a
different entity. This subsection does not apply to the state board of education's duty
to exercise general supervision over the public school system pursuant to section 15-203,
subsection A, paragraph 1.

E. The charter of a charter school shall ensure the following:

1. Compliance with federal, state and local rules, regulations and statutes
relating to health, safety, civil rights and insurance. The department of education shall
publish a list of relevant rules, regulations and statutes to notify charter schools of
their responsibilities under this paragraph.

2. That it is nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies and employment
practices and all other operations.

3. That it provides a comprehensive program of instruction for at least a
kindergarten program or any grade between grades one and twelve, except that a school may
offer this curriculum with an emphasis on a specific learning philosophy or style or
certain subject areas such as mathematics, science, fine arts, performance arts or
foreign language.

4. That it designs a method to measure pupil progress toward the pupil outcomes
adopted by the state board of education pursuant to section 15-741.01, including
participation in the Arizona instrument to measure standards test and the nationally
standardized norm-referenced achievement test as designated by the state board and the
completion and distribution of an annual report card as prescribed in chapter 7, article
3 of this title.

5. That, except as provided in this article and in its charter, it is exempt from
all statutes and rules relating to schools, governing boards and school districts.

6. That, except as provided in this article, it is subject to the same financial
and electronic data submission requirements as a school district, including the uniform
system of financial records as prescribed in chapter 2, article 4 of this title,
procurement rules as prescribed in section 15-213 and audit requirements. The auditor
general shall conduct a comprehensive review and revision of the uniform system of
financial records to ensure that the provisions of the uniform system of financial
records that relate to charter schools are in accordance with commonly accepted
accounting principles used by private business. A school's charter may include
exceptions to the requirements of this paragraph that are necessary as determined by the
district governing board, the state board of education or the state board for charter
schools. The department of education or the office of the auditor general may conduct
financial, program or compliance audits.

7. Compliance with all federal and state laws relating to the education of children
with disabilities in the same manner as a school district.

8. That it provides for a governing body for the charter school that is responsible
for the policy decisions of the charter school. Notwithstanding section 1-216, if there
is a vacancy or vacancies on the governing body, a majority of the remaining members of
the governing body constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, unless that
quorum is prohibited by the charter school's operating agreement.

9. That it provides a minimum of one hundred seventy-five instructional days before
June 30 of each fiscal year unless it is operating on an alternative calendar approved by
its sponsor. The superintendent of public instruction shall adjust the apportionment
schedule accordingly to accommodate a charter school utilizing an alternative calendar.

F. The charter of a charter school shall include a description of the charter
school's personnel policies, personnel qualifications and method of school governance and
the specific role and duties of the sponsor of the charter school. A charter school
shall keep on file the resumes of all current and former employees who provide
instruction to pupils at the charter school. Resumes shall include an individual's
educational and teaching background and experience in a particular academic content
subject area. A charter school shall inform parents and guardians of the availability of
the resume information and shall make the resume information available for inspection on
request of parents and guardians of pupils enrolled at the charter school. Nothing in
this subsection shall be construed to require any charter school to release personally
identifiable information in relation to any teacher or employee, including the teacher's
or employee's address, salary, social security number or telephone number.

G. The charter of a charter school may be amended at the request of the governing
body of the charter school and on the approval of the sponsor.

H. Charter schools may contract, sue and be sued.

I. An approved plan to establish a charter school is effective for fifteen years
from the first day of the fiscal year the charter school is in operation, subject to the
following:

1. At least eighteen months before the expiration of the approved plan, the sponsor
shall notify the charter school that the charter school may apply for renewal. A charter
school that elects to apply for renewal shall file an application for renewal at least
fifteen months before the expiration of the approved plan. In addition to any other
requirements, the application for renewal shall include a detailed business plan for the
charter school, a review of fiscal audits and academic performance data for the charter
school that are annually collected by the sponsor and a review of the current contract
between the sponsor and the charter school. The sponsor may deny the request for renewal
if, in its judgment, the charter school has failed to complete the obligations of the
contract or has failed to comply with this article. A sponsor shall give written notice
of its intent not to renew the charter school's request for renewal to the charter school
at least twelve months before the expiration of the approved plan to allow the
charter school an opportunity to apply to another sponsor to transfer the operation of
the charter school. If the operation of the charter school is transferred to another
sponsor, the fifteen year period of the current charter shall be maintained.

2. A charter operator may apply for early renewal. At least nine months before the
charter school's intended renewal consideration, the operator of the charter school shall
submit a letter of intent to the sponsor to apply for early renewal. The sponsor shall
review fiscal audits and academic performance data for the charter school that are
annually collected by the sponsor, review the current contract between the sponsor and
the charter school and provide the qualifying charter school with a renewal application.
On submission of a complete application, the sponsor shall give written notice of its
consideration of the renewal application.

3. A sponsor shall review a charter at five year intervals and may revoke a charter
at any time if the charter school breaches one or more provisions of its charter. At
least ninety days before the effective date of the proposed revocation the sponsor shall
give written notice to the operator of the charter school of its intent to revoke the
charter. Notice of the sponsor's intent to revoke the charter shall be delivered
personally to the operator of the charter school or sent by certified mail, return
receipt requested, to the address of the charter school. The notice shall incorporate a
statement of reasons for the proposed revocation of the charter. The sponsor shall allow
the charter school at least ninety days to correct the problems associated with the
reasons for the proposed revocation of the charter. The final determination of whether to
revoke the charter shall be made at a public hearing called for such purpose.

J. The charter may be renewed for successive periods of twenty years if the sponsor
deems that the school is in compliance with its own charter and this article.

K. A charter school that is sponsored by the state board of education, the
state board for charter schools, a university, a community college district or a group of
community college districts may not be located on the property of a school district
unless the district governing board grants this authority.

L. A governing board or a school district employee who has control over personnel
actions shall not take unlawful reprisal against another employee of the school district
because the employee is directly or indirectly involved in an application to establish a
charter school. A governing board or a school district employee shall not take unlawful
reprisal against an educational program of the school or the school district because an
application to establish a charter school proposes the conversion of all or a portion of
the educational program to a charter school. For the purposes of this subsection,
"unlawful reprisal" means an action that is taken by a governing board or a school
district employee as a direct result of a lawful application to establish a charter
school and that is adverse to another employee or an education program and:

1. With respect to a school district employee, results in one or more of the
following:

(a) Disciplinary or corrective action.

(b) Detail, transfer or reassignment.

(d) An unfavorable performance evaluation.

(e) A reduction in pay, benefits or awards.

(f) Elimination of the employee's position without a reduction in force by reason
of lack of monies or work.

(g) Other significant changes in duties or responsibilities that are inconsistent
with the employee's salary or employment classification.

2. With respect to an educational program, results in one or more of the following:

(a) Suspension or termination of the program.

(b) Transfer or reassignment of the program to a less favorable department.

(d) Significant reduction or termination of funding for the program.

M. Charter schools shall secure insurance for liability and property loss. The
governing body of a charter school that is sponsored by the state board of education or
the state board for charter schools may enter into an intergovernmental agreement or
otherwise contract to participate in an insurance program offered by a risk retention
pool established pursuant to section 11-952.01 or 41-621.01 or the charter school may
secure its own insurance coverage. The pool may charge the requesting charter school
reasonable fees for any services it performs in connection with the insurance program.

N. Charter schools do not have the authority to acquire property by eminent domain.

O. A sponsor, including members, officers and employees of the sponsor, is immune
from personal liability for all acts done and actions taken in good faith within the
scope of its authority.

P. Charter school sponsors and this state are not liable for the debts or financial
obligations of a charter school or persons who operate charter schools.

Q. The sponsor of a charter school shall establish procedures to conduct
administrative hearings on determination by the sponsor that grounds exist to revoke a
charter. Procedures for administrative hearings shall be similar to procedures prescribed
for adjudicative proceedings in title 41, chapter 6, article 10. Except as provided in
section 41-1092.08, subsection H, final decisions of the state board of education and the
state board for charter schools from hearings conducted pursuant to this subsection are
subject to judicial review pursuant to title 12, chapter 7, article 6.

R. The sponsoring entity of a charter school shall have oversight and
administrative responsibility for the charter schools that it sponsors.

S. Charter schools may pledge, assign or encumber their assets to be used as
collateral for loans or extensions of credit.

T. All property accumulated by a charter school shall remain the property of the
charter school.

U. Charter schools may not locate a school on property that is less than one-fourth
mile from agricultural land regulated pursuant to section 3-365, except that the owner of
the agricultural land may agree to comply with the buffer zone requirements of section
3-365. If the owner agrees in writing to comply with the buffer zone requirements and
records the agreement in the office of the county recorder as a restrictive covenant
running with the title to the land, the charter school may locate a school within the
affected buffer zone. The agreement may include any stipulations regarding the charter
school, including conditions for future expansion of the school and changes in the
operational status of the school that will result in a breach of the agreement.

V. A transfer of a charter to another sponsor, a transfer of a charter school site
to another sponsor or a transfer of a charter school site to a different charter shall be
completed before the beginning of the fiscal year that the transfer is scheduled to
become effective. An entity that sponsors charter schools may accept a transferring
school after the beginning of the fiscal year if the transfer is approved by the
superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent of public instruction shall
have the discretion to consider each transfer during the fiscal year on a case by case
basis. If a charter school is sponsored by a school district that is determined to be
out of compliance with this title, the uniform system of financial records or any other
state or federal law, the charter school may transfer to another sponsoring entity at any
time during the fiscal year.

W. Notwithstanding subsection X of this section, the state board for charter
schools shall charge a processing fee to any charter school that amends their contract to
participate in the Arizona online instruction program pursuant to section 15-808. The
charter Arizona online instruction processing fund is established consisting of fees
collected and administered by the state board for charter schools. The state board for
charter schools shall use monies in the fund only for the processing of contract
amendments for charter schools participating in Arizona online instruction programs.
Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated.

X. The sponsoring entity may not charge any fees to a charter school that it
sponsors unless the sponsor has provided services to the charter school and the fees
represent the full value of those services provided by the sponsor. On request, the value
of the services provided by the sponsor to the charter school shall be demonstrated to
the department of education.

Y. Charter schools may enter into an intergovernmental agreement with a presiding
judge of the juvenile court to implement a law related education program as defined in
section 15-154. The presiding judge of the juvenile court may assign juvenile probation
officers to participate in a law related education program in any charter school in the
county. The cost of juvenile probation officers who participate in the program
implemented pursuant to this subsection shall be funded by the charter school.

Z. The sponsor of a charter school shall modify previously approved curriculum
requirements for a charter school that wishes to participate in the board examination
system prescribed in chapter 7, article 6 of this title.

AA. If a charter school decides not to participate in the board examination system
prescribed in chapter 7, article 6 of this title, pupils enrolled at that charter school
may earn a Grand Canyon diploma by obtaining a passing score on the same board
examinations.