Petaluma City Schools | BP 0420.42 Philosophy, Goals, Objectives and Comprehensive Plans
Charter School Renewal
The Board of Education believes that the ongoing operation of a charter school should be dependent on the school's effectiveness in achieving its mission and goals for student learning and other student outcomes. Whenever a charter school submits a petition for renewal of its charter, the Board shall review the petition thoroughly and in a timely manner. The Board shall consider renewal petitions only of charters originally authorized by the Board itself or by the State Board of Education on appeal after initial denial by the Board.
(cf. 0420.4 - Charter School Authorization)
(cf. 0420.41 - Charter School Oversight)
(cf. 0420.43 - Charter School Revocation)
(cf. 0500 - Accountability)
No charter school that submits a renewal petition on or after July 1, 2019 shall be operated as, or be operated by, a for-profit corporation, a for-profit educational management organization, or a for-profit charter management organization. (Education Code 47604)
The Board recommends that a charter school submit its petition for renewal to the Board sufficiently early before the expiration of the term of the charter to allow the Board's deliberations and decision on the renewal petition to be completed with minimal disruption to the charter school's educational program in the renewal year.
Each renewal granted by the Board shall be for a period of five years. (Education Code 47607)
Criteria for Granting or Denying Renewal
Renewals shall be governed by the same standards and criteria that apply to new charter petitions as set forth in Education Code 47605, except that the signature requirement for new petitions is not applicable to petitions for renewal. (Education Code 47607; 5 CCR 11966.4)
The petition for renewal shall include a reasonably comprehensive description of how the charter school has met all new charter school requirements enacted into law after the charter was originally granted or last renewed. (Education Code 47607; 5 CCR 11966.4)
In determining whether to grant a charter renewal, the Board shall consider the past academic, financial, and operational performance of the charter school in evaluating the likelihood of future success, along with any plans for improvement. Increases in academic achievement for all numerically significant groups of students served by the charter school, as defined in Education Code 52052, shall be the most important factor. (Education Code 47607; 5 CCR 11966.4)
The Board shall not deny a renewal petition unless it makes written factual findings, specific to the particular petition, setting forth specific facts to support one or more of the following grounds: (Education Code 47605, 47607; 5 CCR 11966.4)
1. The charter school presents an unsound educational program for the students enrolled in the school.
2. The petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the petition.
3. The petition does not contain an affirmation of each of the conditions described in Education Code 47605(d).
4. The petition does not contain reasonably comprehensive descriptions of the charter provisions in Education Code 47605(b).
5. The charter school has failed to demonstrate that it meets at least one of the following criteria of academic performance:
a. Increases in academic achievement for all groups of students schoolwide and among numerically significant student subgroups, as determined using measures identified pursuant to Education Code 52052
b. Academic performance at least equal to the academic performance of the public schools that the charter school students would otherwise have been required to attend as well as the academic performance of district schools, taking into account the composition of the student population that is served at the charter school
Such performance shall be determined based on a review of documented clear and convincing data; student achievement data from assessments, including, but not limited to, state academic achievement tests, for demographically similar student populations in comparison schools; and information submitted by the charter school. The Board shall not grant a renewal until at least 30 days after the submission of any such documentation by the charter school. The Superintendent or designee shall submit to the Superintendent of Public Instruction copies of supporting documentation and a written summary of the basis for the Board's determination.
(cf. 6162.51 - State Academic Achievement Tests)
c. Qualification for the state's alternative accountability system for schools that serve high-risk students
Timelines for Board Action
Within 30 days of receiving the renewal petition, the Board shall hold a public hearing to review documentation submitted by the charter school and obtain public input.
Within 60 days of receiving the renewal petition, or within 90 days if extended by mutual written agreement of the Board and the charter school, the Board shall either grant or deny the request to renew the charter. (Education Code 47607; 5 CCR 11966.4)
If the Board fails to make a written factual finding pursuant to items #1-5 in the section "Criteria for Granting or Denying Renewal" above within the required time period, the absence of a written factual finding shall be deemed an approval of the renewal petition. (5 CCR 11966.4)
The Superintendent or designee shall provide notification to the California Department of Education, within 10 calendar days of the Board's action, whenever a renewal of the charter is granted or denied. (Education Code 47604.32; 5 CCR 11962.1)
If the Board denies a renewal petition, the charter school may submit its application for renewal to the County Board of Education within 30 days of the Board's written factual findings supporting the denial. (Education Code 47605, 47607.5)
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
47600-47616.7 Charter Schools Act of 1992
52052 Definition of numerically significant student subgroup
56145-56146 Special education services in charter schools
60600-60649 Assessment of academic achievement
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
11960-11969 Charter schools
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20
7223-7225 Charter schools
Management Resources:
CSBA PUBLICATIONS
The Role of the Charter School Authorizer, Online Course
Charter Schools: A Guide for Governance Teams, rev. 2016
WEB SITES
CSBA: http://www.csba.org
California Charter Schools Association: http://www.calcharters.org
California Department of Education, Charter Schools: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cs
National Association of Charter School Authorizers: http://www.charterauthorizers.org
U.S. Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov
Policy PETALUMA CITY SCHOOLS
adopted: April 23, 2019 Petaluma, California