Proposed Guidelines and Application for Public College or University Charters
November 20, 2009
COMMITTEE ON SCHOOL INITIATIVES: ACTION
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION: ACTION
SUMMARY: This item provides the State Board of Education (SBOE) an opportunity to adopt the application form for the public college or university open-enrollment charters.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: TEC, §12.152 and §12.154.
PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION: The SBOE last adopted a version of the Public Senior College or University Charter Guidelines and Application on July 18, 2008.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND SIGNIFICANT ISSUES: The TEC, Chapter 12, Charters, Subchapter E, College or University Charter School, was added by HB 6, 77th Texas Legislature, 2001, authorizing the SBOE to grant open-enrollment charters to public senior colleges or universities as defined in TEC, §61.003. HB 6 gave the SBOE authority to grant charters, outside the limit of 215 open-enrollment charters, to public senior colleges or universities that met additional requirements.
HB 1423, 81st Texas Legislature, 2009, amended the TEC, Chapter 12, Subchapter E, to allow public junior colleges to be awarded charters. The Public College or University Charter Guidelines and Application is a modified version of the Fifteenth Generation Open-Enrollment Charter Guidelines and Application. It has been modified specifically to address open-enrollment charter school applications by public colleges and universities as authorized by TEC, §12.152. Because the number of charters that may be granted to public colleges and universities authorized by TEC, §12.152 is not limited to the cap of 215 that otherwise applies to charter schools, there is no application submission deadline. Applications will be accepted and reviewed by staff upon submission and presented at subsequent SBOE meetings for consideration.
FISCAL IMPACT: None.
PUBLIC AND STUDENT BENEFIT: Open-enrollment charter schools provide avenues for local restructuring, flexibility, innovation, and choice for parents and students. The open-enrollment charter school system is strengthened by including public colleges and universities as active sponsors of charter schools.
PROCEDURAL AND REPORTING IMPLICATIONS: None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None.
ALTERNATIVES: None.
OTHER COMMENTS AND RELATED ISSUES: The SBOE is scheduled to adopt the Fifteenth Generation Open-Enrollment Charter Guidelines and Application in a separate item.
MOTION TO BE CONSIDERED:
Adopt the Public College or University Charter Guidelines and Application
Respectfully submitted,
Robert Scott
Commissioner of Education
Staff Members Responsible: Ray Glynn, Deputy Commissioner
School District Leadership and Educator Quality
Laura Taylor, Associate Commissioner
Accreditation
Mary Perry, Director
Charter School Administration
Separate Exhibit:Public College or University Charter Guidelines and Application (to be distributed at the committee meeting)