Bill > HB2177

This bill makes several changes to Tennessee's public education laws, particularly concerning public charter schools. It exempts schools with less than $50,000 in internal school and student activity funds from conducting separate audits for those specific funds, though general audits are still required. The bill also modifies the financial reporting deadlines for Local Education Agencies (LEAs), stating that if an LEA fails to submit its financial report by December 1st of the following fiscal year, the per-pupil funding allocated to public charter schools within that LEA will not decrease. Additionally, it adjusts the enrollment lottery process for public charter schools by establishing a specific order for enrollment preferences, and it revises the requirements for public charter school replication applications, allowing governing bodies with at least one operational charter school for three years to apply for replication directly to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission (the "commission") under certain conditions, including a 90-day approval or denial period for the commission. The bill also clarifies that if the commission authorizes a public charter school, it will receive an annual authorizer fee of up to 3% of the school's per-pupil funding or $463,000, whichever is less. Finally, it introduces provisions for identifying and renewing "high-performing" public charter schools, which, if they meet specific performance and audit standards, will be automatically renewed by their authorizer.