EDUCATION CODE - EDC

TITLE 2. ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION [33000 - 65001]

  ( Title 2 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )  

DIVISION 4. INSTRUCTION AND SERVICES [46000 - 65001]

  ( Division 4 enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010. )

PART 26.8. CHARTER SCHOOLS [47600 - 47663]

  ( Part 26.8 added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 781, Sec. 1. )

CHAPTER 2. Establishment of Charter Schools [47605 - 47608]

  ( Chapter 2 added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 781, Sec. 1. )

47607.  

(a) (1) A charter may be granted pursuant to Sections 47605, 47605.5, 47605.6, and 47606 for a period not to exceed five years.

(2) A chartering authority may grant one or more subsequent renewals pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) and Section 47607.2. Notwithstanding subdivisions (b) and (c) and Section 47607.2, a chartering authority may deny renewal pursuant to subdivision (e).

(3) A charter school that, concurrently with its renewal, proposes to expand operations to one or more additional sites or grade levels shall request a material revision to its charter. A material revision of the provisions of a charter petition may be made only with the approval of the chartering authority. A material revision of a charter is governed by the standards and criteria described in Section 47605.

(4) The findings of paragraphs (7) and (8) of subdivision (c) of Section 47605 shall not be used to deny a renewal of an existing charter school, but may be used to deny a proposed expansion constituting a material revision. For a material revision, analysis under paragraphs (7) and (8) of subdivision (c) of Section 47605 shall be limited to consideration only of the impact of the proposed material revision.

(5) The chartering authority may inspect or observe any part of the charter school at any time.

(b) Renewals and material revisions of charters are governed by the standards and criteria described in Section 47605, and shall include, but not be limited to, a reasonably comprehensive description of any new requirement of charter schools enacted into law after the charter was originally granted or last renewed.

(c) (1) As an additional criterion for determining whether to grant a charter renewal, the chartering authority shall consider the performance of the charter school on the state and local indicators included in the evaluation rubrics adopted pursuant to Section 52064.5.

(2) (A) The chartering authority shall not deny renewal for a charter school pursuant to this subdivision if either of the following apply for two consecutive years immediately preceding the renewal decision:

(i) The charter school has received the two highest performance levels schoolwide on all the state indicators included in the evaluation rubrics adopted pursuant to Section 52064.5 for which it receives performance levels.

(ii) For all measurements of academic performance, the charter school has received performance levels schoolwide that are the same or higher than the state average and, for a majority of subgroups performing statewide below the state average in each respective year, received performance levels that are higher than the state average.

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), if the two consecutive years immediately preceding the renewal decision include the 2019–20 or 2020–21 school year, the chartering authority shall not deny renewal for a charter school if either of the following apply for two of the most recent years for which state data is available preceding the renewal decision:

(i) The charter school has received the two highest performance levels schoolwide on all the state indicators included in the evaluation rubrics adopted pursuant to Section 52064.5 for which it receives performance levels.

(ii) For all measurements of academic performance, the charter school has received performance levels schoolwide that are the same or higher than the state average and, for a majority of subgroups performing statewide below the state average in each respective year, received performance levels that are higher than the state average.

(C) Notwithstanding subparagraphs (A) and (B), a charter school eligible for technical assistance pursuant to Section 47607.3 shall not qualify for renewal under this paragraph.

(D) A charter school that meets the criteria established by this paragraph and subdivision (a) of Section 47607.2 shall not qualify for treatment under this paragraph.

(E) The chartering authority that granted the charter may renew a charter pursuant to this paragraph for a period of between five and seven years.

(F) A charter that satisfies the criteria in subparagraph (A) or (B) shall only be required to update the petition to include a reasonably comprehensive description of any new requirement of charter schools enacted into law after the charter was originally granted or last renewed and as necessary to reflect the current program offered by the charter.

(3) For purposes of this section and Section 47607.2, “measurements of academic performance” means indicators included in the evaluation rubrics adopted pursuant to Section 52064.5 that are based on statewide assessments in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress system, or any successor system, the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California, or any successor system, and the college and career readiness indicator.

(4) For purposes of this section and Section 47607.2, “subgroup” means numerically significant pupil subgroups as defined in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 52052.

(5) To qualify for renewal under clause (i) of subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (2), subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 47607.2, or paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 47607.2, the charter school shall have schoolwide performance levels on at least two measurements of academic performance per year in each of the two consecutive years immediately preceding the renewal decision. To qualify for renewal under clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (2), subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 47607.2, or paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 47607.2, the charter school shall have performance levels on at least two measurements of academic performance for at least two subgroups. A charter school without sufficient performance levels to meet these criteria shall be considered under subdivision (b) of Section 47607.2.

(6) For purposes of this section and Section 47607.2, if the dashboard indicators are not yet available for the most recently completed academic year before renewal, the chartering authority shall consider verifiable data provided by the charter school related to the dashboard indicators, such as data from the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or any successor system, for the most recent academic year.

(7) Paragraph (2) and subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 47607.2 shall not apply to a charter school that is eligible for alternate methods for calculating the state and local indicators pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 52064.5. In determining whether to grant a charter renewal for such a charter school, the chartering authority shall consider, in addition to the charter school’s performance on the state and local indicators included in the evaluation rubrics adopted pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 52064.5, the charter school’s performance on alternative metrics applicable to the charter school based on the pupil population served. The chartering authority shall meet with the charter school during the first year of the charter school’s term to mutually agree to discuss alternative metrics to be considered pursuant to this paragraph and shall notify the charter school of the alternative metrics to be used within 30 days of this meeting. The chartering authority may deny a charter renewal pursuant to this paragraph only upon making written findings, setting forth specific facts to support the findings, that the closure of the charter school is in the best interest of pupils.

(d) (1) At the conclusion of the year immediately preceding the final year of the charter school’s term, the charter school authorizer may request, and the department shall provide, the following aggregate data reflecting pupil enrollment patterns at the charter school:

(A) The cumulative enrollment for each school year of the charter school’s term. For purposes of this chapter, cumulative enrollment is defined as the total number of pupils, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and pupil subgroups, who enrolled in school at any time during the school year.

(B) For each school year of the charter school’s term, the percentage of pupils enrolled at any point between the beginning of the school year and census day who were not enrolled at the conclusion of that year, and the average results on the statewide assessments in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress system, or any successor system, for any such pupils who were enrolled in the charter school the prior school year.

(C) For each school year of the charter school’s term, the percentage of pupils enrolled the prior school year who were not enrolled as of census day for the school year, except for pupils who completed the grade that is the highest grade served by the charter school, and the average results on the statewide assessments in the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress system, or any successor system, for any such pupils.

(2) When determining whether to grant a charter renewal, the chartering authority shall review data provided pursuant to paragraph (1), any data that may be provided to chartering authorities by the department, and any substantiated complaints that the charter school has not complied with subparagraph (J) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (c) of Section 47605 or with subparagraph (J) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 47605.6.

(3) As part of its determination of whether to grant a charter renewal based on the criterion established pursuant to subdivision (c) and subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 47607.2, the chartering authority may make a finding that the charter school is not serving all pupils who wish to attend and, upon making such a finding, specifically identify the evidence supporting the finding.

(e) Notwithstanding subdivision (c) and subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 47607.2, the chartering authority may deny renewal of a charter school upon a finding that the school is demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the petition due to substantial fiscal or governance factors, or is not serving all pupils who wish to attend, as documented pursuant to subdivision (d). The chartering authority may deny renewal of a charter school under this subdivision only after it has provided at least 30 days’ notice to the charter school of the alleged violation and provided the charter school with a reasonable opportunity to cure the violation, including a corrective action plan proposed by the charter school. The chartering authority may deny renewal only by making either of the following findings:

(1) The corrective action proposed by the charter school has been unsuccessful.

(2) The violations are sufficiently severe and pervasive as to render a corrective action plan unviable.

(f) A charter may be revoked by the chartering authority if the chartering authority finds, through a showing of substantial evidence, that the charter school did any of the following:

(1) Committed a material violation of any of the conditions, standards, or procedures set forth in the charter.

(2) Failed to meet or pursue any of the pupil outcomes identified in the charter.

(3) Failed to meet generally accepted accounting principles, or engaged in fiscal mismanagement.

(4) Violated any law.

(g) Before revocation, the chartering authority shall notify the charter school of any violation of this section and give the school a reasonable opportunity to remedy the violation, unless the chartering authority determines, in writing, that the violation constitutes a severe and imminent threat to the health or safety of the pupils.

(h) Before revoking a charter for failure to remedy a violation pursuant to subdivision (f), and after expiration of the school’s reasonable opportunity to remedy without successfully remedying the violation, the chartering authority shall provide a written notice of intent to revoke and notice of facts in support of revocation to the charter school. No later than 30 days after providing the notice of intent to revoke a charter, the chartering authority shall hold a public hearing, in the normal course of business, on the issue of whether evidence exists to revoke the charter. No later than 30 days after the public hearing, the chartering authority shall issue a final decision to revoke or decline to revoke the charter, unless the chartering authority and the charter school agree to extend the issuance of the decision by an additional 30 days. The chartering authority shall not revoke a charter, unless it makes written factual findings supported by substantial evidence, specific to the charter school, that support its findings.

(i) (1) If a school district is the chartering authority and it revokes a charter pursuant to this section, the charter school may appeal the revocation to the county board of education within 30 days following the final decision of the chartering authority.

(2) The county board of education may reverse the revocation decision if the county board of education determines that the findings made by the chartering authority under subdivision (h) are not supported by substantial evidence. The school district may appeal the reversal to the state board.

(3) If the county board of education does not issue a decision on the appeal within 90 days of receipt, or the county board of education upholds the revocation, the charter school may appeal the revocation to the state board.

(4) The state board may reverse the revocation decision if the state board determines that the findings made by the chartering authority under subdivision (h) are not supported by substantial evidence. The state board may uphold the revocation decision of the school district if the state board determines that the findings made by the chartering authority under subdivision (h) are supported by substantial evidence.

(j) (1) If a county board of education is the chartering authority and the county board of education revokes a charter pursuant to this section, the charter school may appeal the revocation to the state board within 30 days following the decision of the chartering authority.

(2) The state board may reverse the revocation decision if the state board determines that the findings made by the chartering authority under subdivision (h) are not supported by substantial evidence.

(k) If the revocation decision of the chartering authority is reversed on appeal, the agency that granted the charter shall continue to be regarded as the chartering authority.

(l) During the pendency of an appeal filed under this section, a charter school whose revocation proceedings are based on paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (f) shall continue to qualify as a charter school for funding and for all other purposes of this part, and may continue to hold all existing grants, resources, and facilities, in order to ensure that the education of pupils enrolled in the school is not disrupted.

(m) Immediately following the decision of a county board of education to reverse a decision of a school district to revoke a charter, all of the following shall apply:

(1) The charter school shall qualify as a charter school for funding and for all other purposes of this part.

(2) The charter school may continue to hold all existing grants, resources, and facilities.

(3) Any funding, grants, resources, and facilities that had been withheld from the charter school, or that the charter school had otherwise been deprived of use, as a result of the revocation of the charter, shall be immediately reinstated or returned.

(n) A final decision of a revocation or appeal of a revocation pursuant to subdivision (f) shall be reported to the chartering authority, the county board of education, and the department.

(o) The requirements of this section shall not be waived by the state board pursuant to Section 33050 or any other law.

(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 44, Sec. 56. (AB 130) Effective July 9, 2021.)