Proposed Selection of Open-Enrollment Charter Schools
November 16, 2012
COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL INITIATIVES: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: This item provides the board an opportunity to approve the operation of additional open-enrollment charter schools for opening in school year 2013-2014.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Texas Education Code (TEC), §12.101.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: Senate Bill (SB) 1, 74th Texas Legislature, 1995, granted the State Board of Education (SBOE) the authority to award up to 20 open-enrollment charters to eligible entities. In 1997, the 75th Texas Legislature granted the board the authority to approve 100 additional open-enrollment charters and an unlimited number of open-enrollment charters to serve students at risk of dropping out of school.
In 2001, House Bill 6 granted the State Board of Education (SBOE) the authority to establish up to 215 open-enrollment charters. In addition, HB 6 gave the board authority to approve an unlimited number of charters to public senior colleges or universities that meet additional requirements. Of the 215 potential open-enrollment charters, 201 have been awarded and 14 remain available.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: At the July 22, 2011 meeting, the board adopted an application form for seventeenth generation charters. In accordance with 19 TAC §100.1, Application, Selection, and Amendment Procedures and Criteria, adopted by the SBOE to be effective December 5, 1999, and amended to be effective January 1, 2001, the request for application states that applications must be complete in order to be sent to the external reviewers for scoring. In addition, applications must meet or exceed the board-established minimum score of 225 out of a possible 300 points to be interviewed by the board for a possible charter award.
Twenty-five of the 49 applications submitted by the deadline were found to be complete after review by the Committee on School Initiatives at the committee meeting on July 18, 2012. The external reviewers appointed by SBOE members and the commissioner of education reviewed and scored the 25 applications for charters. Of those, 14 scored a minimum of 225 out of a possible 300 points, and interviews with sponsoring entity representatives were held by the Committee on School Initiatives on November 1-2, 2012.
FISCAL IMPACT: A fiscal implication would be likely for local school districts as a result of open-enrollment charters being authorized. A decrease in state revenue to local districts would occur as the result of students attending an open-enrollment charter school instead of a traditional district school.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: In accordance with current statute, the approval of open-enrollment charters will provide new avenues for local restructuring, flexibility, innovation, and choice options for parents and students.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: Open-enrollment charter schools are subject to the public school accountability system under TEC, Chapter 39, Subchapters B, C, D, E, and J.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: None.
MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED:
Approve additional open-enrollment charter schools.
Respectfully submitted,
Michael L. Williams
Commissioner of Education
Staff Members Responsible:
Laura Taylor, Associate Commissioner
Accreditation and School Improvement
Sally Partridge, Director
School Improvement and Support