22487042, 6A-6.0786 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 22487042

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Division:

State Board of Education

Chapter:

SPECIAL PROGRAMS I

Overview

RULE:

6A-6.0786

Forms for Charter School Applicants and Sponsors

PURPOSE:

To revise the Model Florida Charter School Application (Form IEPC-M1), the evaluation instrument for that model application (Form IEPC-M2), and the Florida Standard Charter Contract (Form IEPC-SC) to align with recent legislative changes. Additionally, s. 1002.33(21), F.S., mandates that the Florida Department of Education develop a standard charter renewal contract.

SUMMARY:

House Bill 7069, in the 2017 Florida Legislature, helped to assure that the standard charter contract serves as the starting point for all negotiations between approved charter schools and their district sponsors. The legislative amendment to s. 1002.33(7), F.S., maintains that “any term or condition of a proposed charter contract that differs from the standard charter contract adopted by rule of the State Board of Education shall be presumed a limitation on charter school flexibility.” This does not prevent charter schools and school districts from negotiating changes made to the standard contract, but it does ensure that changes not mutually agreed to would be presumed limitations. Due to this strengthened language, it behooves us to update the standard contract based on feedback we have received from charter school operators and authorizers. Additionally, s. 1002.33(21), F.S., mandates that the Florida Department of Education also develop a standard charter renewal contract. Further, the establishment of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act has made it necessary for the Department to examine how we ask charter school applicants to address their plans to keep their students safe. We propose to enhance that particular section of the model application – Section 19: School Safety and Security – to require applicants to explain how they will be in compliance with this statute. This would also require revisions to the model application evaluation instrument that districts use. Specifically the evaluation criteria would be aligned with the new questions on the application.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

1002.33(28), F.S.

LAW:

1002.33(7), 1002.33(16), 1002.33(21), F.S.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

10/16/2019 Vol. 45/202

COMMENTS:

From 10/16/2019 To 11/6/2019 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

Ref-01257 Forms Incorporated by Reference in Rule 6A-6.0786
Ref-05518 Form IEPC-M1A, Applicant History Worksheet
Ref-06296 Form IEPC-M1, Model Florida Charter School Application
Ref-06300 Form IEPC-M2, Florida Charter School Application Evaluation Instrument
Ref-06304 Form IEPC-VI, Model Florida Virtual Charter School Application
Ref-06305 Form IEPC-V2, Florida Virtual Charter School Application Evaluation Instrument
Ref-07647 Form IEPC-SC, Florida Standard Charter Contract
Ref-08911 Form IEPC-HPS1, the Model Florida Charter School Application High-Performing Charter School System Replication
Ref-08912 Form IEPC-HPS2, the Model Florida Charter School Application High-Performing Charter School System Replication Evaluation Instrument

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