§ 6-23-201 - Application for conversion public charter school status. - Arkansas Statutes

6-23-201. Application for conversion public charter school status.

(a) (1) Any public school district may apply to the State Board of Education for conversion public charter school status for a public school in the public school district in accordance with a schedule approved by the state board.

(2) A public school district's application for conversion public charter school status for the public school may include, but shall not be limited to, the following purposes:

(A) Adopting research-based school or instructional designs, or both, that focus on improving student and school performance;

(B) Addressing school improvement status resulting from sanctions listed in 6-15-207(c)(8) and 6-15-429(a) and (b); or

(C) Partnering with other public school districts or public schools to address students' needs in a geographical location or multiple locations.

(b) Such application shall:

(1) (A) Describe the results of a public hearing called by the local school board for the purpose of assessing support of an application for conversion public charter school status.

(B) Notice of the public hearing shall be:

(i) Distributed to the community, certified personnel, and the parents of all students enrolled at the public school for which the public school district initiated the application; and

(ii) Published in a newspaper having general circulation in the public school district at least three (3) weeks prior to the date of the meeting;

(2) Describe a plan for school improvement that addresses how the conversion public charter school will improve student learning and meet the state education goals;

(3) Outline proposed performance criteria that will be used during the initial five-year period of the charter to measure the progress of the conversion public charter school in improving student learning and meeting or exceeding the state education goals;

(4) Describe how the certified employees and parents of students to be enrolled in the conversion public charter school will be involved in developing and implementing the school improvement plan and identifying performance criteria;

(5) Describe how the concerns of certified employees and parents of students enrolled in the conversion public charter school will be solicited and addressed in evaluating the effectiveness of the improvement plan; and

(6) List the specific provisions of this title and the specific rules and regulations promulgated by the state board from which the conversion public charter school will be exempt.

(c) (1) A certified teacher employed by a public school in the school year immediately preceding the effective date of a charter for a public school conversion within that public school district may not be transferred to or be employed by the conversion public charter school over the certified teacher's objection, nor shall that objection be used as a basis to deny continuing employment within the public school district in another public school at a similar grade level.

(2) If the transfer of a teacher within the public school district is not possible because only one (1) public school exists for that teacher's certification level, then the local school board shall call for a vote of the certified teachers in the proposed conversion public charter school site and proceed, at the local school board's option, with the conversion public charter school application if a majority of the certified teachers approve the proposal.