Bill > H0357

This bill establishes the Principal Autonomy Pilot Program Initiative, allowing up to six school districts to participate for three years in exchange for meeting specific student achievement and school management goals. Participating districts will identify three middle or high schools where principals will gain increased fiscal and administrative autonomy, meaning they can make more decisions about their school's budget and operations, including selecting instructional staff and deploying financial resources to improve student performance, while still adhering to certain state laws like those concerning elections, public records, student assessment, and services for students with disabilities. Principals in these pilot schools must complete specific professional development training, and participating schools are guaranteed to receive at least 90 percent of their generated funds, an increase from the usual 80 percent. The bill also revises school district minimum classroom expenditure requirements to potentially include this professional development and requires participating districts to provide annual reports on the program's implementation and effectiveness.