Bill > HB2420

This bill mandates that the commissioner must direct a local education agency (LEA), which is a public school district, to close a virtual school if it meets specific performance criteria, rather than just having the option to do so. These criteria include being identified as a "priority school" or demonstrating "significantly below expectations" student achievement growth for three consecutive years, as measured by the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS), a system that tracks student academic progress over time. If a virtual school is closed due to poor academic performance, the nonprofit or for-profit company that operated or managed it will be prohibited from contracting to run a new virtual school in Tennessee for five years. The bill also outlines procedures for notifying parents, offering alternative enrollment options, and preventing the enrollment of new students in schools facing closure, and ensures that student records are not withheld by providers.