Bill > SB1310

This bill modifies Tennessee's charter school laws to establish new processes and provisions for charter school authorization, replication, and oversight. The bill introduces a formal definition for "replication" as the creation of new charter schools with the same academic focus as an existing successful charter school, and provides a pathway for governing bodies of existing charter schools to replicate their schools either through local school boards or directly through the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission. The bill expands the commission's role in charter school authorization by allowing direct applications in certain circumstances, such as when a local board of education has repeatedly denied charter school applications. It also establishes new timelines and procedures for application review, including automatic approval if not acted upon within specified timeframes. Additionally, the bill updates reporting requirements for authorizers, modifies performance frameworks, and gives public higher education institutions more flexibility in sponsoring charter schools, including the ability to give enrollment preferences to their employees' children. The changes aim to streamline the charter school authorization process, provide more avenues for quality charter school expansion, and increase transparency in charter school oversight. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Education

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB1310&ga=114