256F.4 - GENERAL OPERATING REQUIREMENTS. - Iowa Statutes

256F.4 GENERAL OPERATING REQUIREMENTS. 1. Within fifteen days after approval of a charter school application submitted in accordance with section 256F.3, subsection 2, a school board shall report to the department the name of the charter school applicant, the proposed charter school location, and its projected enrollment. 2. Although a charter school may elect to comply with one or more provisions of statute or administrative rule, a charter school is exempt from all statutes and rules applicable to a school, a school board, or a school district, except that the charter school shall do all of the following: a. Meet all applicable federal, state, and local health and safety requirements and laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, ancestry, or disability. A charter school shall be subject to any court-ordered desegregation plan in effect for the school district at the time the school's charter application is approved. b. Operate as a nonsectarian, nonreligious public school. c. Be free of tuition and application fees to Iowa resident students between the ages of five and twenty-one years. d. Be subject to and comply with chapters 216 and 216A relating to civil and human rights. e. Provide special education services in accordance with chapter 256B. f. Be subject to the same financial audits, audit procedures, and audit requirements as a school district. The audit shall be consistent with the requirements of sections 11.6, 11.14, 11.19, 256.9, subsection 19, and section 279.29, except to the extent deviations are necessary because of the program at the school. The department, the auditor of state, or the legislative services agency may conduct financial, program, or compliance audits. g. Be subject to and comply with chapter 284 relating to the student achievement and teacher quality program. A charter school that complies with chapter 284 shall receive state moneys or be eligible to receive state moneys as provided in chapter 284 as if it did not operate under a charter. h. Be subject to and comply with chapters 20 and 279 relating to contracts with and discharge of teachers and administrators. i. Be subject to and comply with the provisions of chapter 285 relating to the transportation of students. j. Meetings of the advisory council are subject to the provisions of chapters 21 and 22. 3. A charter school shall not discriminate in its student admissions policies or practices on the basis of intellectual or athletic ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, or status as a person with a disability. However, a charter school may limit admission to students who are within a particular range of ages or grade levels or on any other basis that would be legal if initiated by a school district. Enrollment priority shall be given to the siblings of students enrolled in a charter school. 4. A charter school shall enroll an eligible resident student who submits a timely application unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building. In this case, students must be accepted by lot. A charter school may enroll an eligible nonresident student who submits a timely application in accordance with the student admission policy established pursuant to section 256F.5, subsection 1. If the charter school enrolls an eligible nonresident student, the charter school shall notify the school district and the sending district not later than March 1 of the preceding school year. Transportation for the student shall be in accordance with section 282.18, subsection 10. The sending district shall make payments to the charter school in the manner required under section 282.18, subsection 7. 5. A charter school shall provide instruction for at least the number of days required by section 279.10, subsection 1, or shall provide at least the equivalent number of total hours. 6. Notwithstanding subsection 2, a charter school shall meet the requirements of section 256.7, subsection 21. 7. A charter school shall be considered a part of the school district in which it is located for purposes of state school foundation aid pursuant to chapter 257. 8. A charter school may enter into contracts in accordance with chapter 26.          Section History: Recent Form 2002 Acts, ch 1124, §4, 16; 2002 Acts, ch 1175, §81; 2003 Acts, ch 35, §46, 49; 2003 Acts, ch 79, §2, 7, 8; 2006 Acts, ch 1185, §127 Referred to in § 256F.3, 256F.5, 256F.10, 282.9