HB 1507 2003
1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to charter school districts; amending s.
3	1003.62, F.S.; revising provisions relating to the charter
4	school districts pilot program; authorizing designation of
5	charter school districts based on the performance grade
6	categories of schools in the school district; providing
7	length of charter and conditions for renewal; providing an
8	effective date.
9
10	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12	Section 1. Section 1003.62, Florida Statutes, is amended
13	to read:
14	1003.62 Charter school districts pilot program.--
15	(1) PILOT PROGRAM.--
16	(a)The State Board of Education is authorized to enter
17	into a performance contract with up to six district school
18	boards for the purpose of establishing them as charter school
19	districts. The State Board of Education shall give priority to
20	Hillsborough and Volusia Counties upon the submission of a
21	completed precharter agreement or charter proposal for a charter
22	school district.
23	(b) A school district in which a minimum of 50 percent of
24	the schools earn a performance grade category "A" or "B" and in
25	which no school earns a performance grade category "D" or "F"
26	pursuant to s. 1008.34 shall be eligible to be designated as a
27	charter school district. Schools that receive a performance
28	grade category "I" or "N" shall not be included in this
29	calculation. The performance contract for a school district that
30	earns a charter based on school performance grades shall be
31	predicated on maintenance of at least half of the schools
32	earning a performance grade category "A" or "B," with no schools
33	in the school district earning a performance grade category "D"
34	or "F."
35
36	The purpose of this pilot program is to examine a new
37	relationship between the State Board of Education and district
38	school boards that may produce significant improvements in
39	student achievement and school management, while complying with
40	constitutional requirements assigned to each entity.
41	(2)(1)CHARTER DISTRICT.--
42	(a) A charter school district established pursuant to
43	paragraph (1)(a)is a school district in Florida in which the
44	district school board has submitted and the State Board of
45	Education has approved a charter proposal that exchanges
46	statutory and rule exemption for agreement to meet performance
47	goals in the proposal. The charter school district shall be
48	chartered for 3 years, at the end of which the performance shall
49	be evaluated.
50	(b) A charter school district established pursuant to
51	paragraph (1)(b) that qualifies based on school performance
52	grade categories shall be chartered for 1 year.
53	(3)(2)EXEMPTION FROM STATUTES AND RULES.--Charter school
54	districts shall be exempt from state statutes and specified
55	State Board of Education rules. The district school board of a
56	charter school district shall not be exempt from any statute
57	governing election of district school board members, public
58	meetings and public records requirements, financial disclosure,
59	conflicts of interest, operation in the sunshine, or any
60	provisions outside the Florida K-20 Education Code.
61	(4)(3)GOVERNING BOARD.--The governing board of the
62	charter school district shall be the duly elected district
63	school board. The district school board shall be responsible for
64	supervising the schools in the charter district and is
65	authorized to charter each of its existing public schools
66	pursuant to s. 1002.33, apply for deregulation of its public
67	schools pursuant to s. 1003.63, or otherwise establish
68	performance-based contractual relationships with its public
69	schools for the purpose of giving them greater autonomy with
70	accountability for performance.
71	(5)(4)PRECHARTER AGREEMENT.--The State Board of Education
72	is authorized to approve a precharter agreement with a potential
73	charter district established pursuant to paragraph (1)(a). The
74	agreement may grant limited flexibility and direction for
75	developing the full charter proposal.
76	(6)(5) TIME PERIOD FOR PILOT.--The pilot program charter
77	school districts established pursuant to paragraph (1)(a)shall
78	be authorized for a period of 3 full school years commencing
79	with award of a charter. The charter may be renewed upon action
80	of the State Board of Education. The pilot program charter
81	school districts established pursuant to paragraph (1)(b) shall
82	be authorized for 1 full school year and shall be renewed each
83	year that the school district continues to qualify based on the
84	school performance grades within that school district.
85	(7)(6)REPORTS.--The State Board of Education shall
86	annually report on the implementation of the charter school
87	district pilot program. Upon the completion of the first 3-year
88	term for charter school districts established pursuant to
89	paragraph (1)(a), the State Board of Education, through the
90	Commissioner of Education, shall submit to the Legislature a
91	full evaluation of the effectiveness of the program.
92	(8)(7)RULEMAKING.--The State Board of Education shall
93	have the authority to enact rules to implement this section in
94	accordance with ss. 120.536 and 120.54.
95	Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.