Bill > H321

This bill amends existing law regarding charter school admissions by redefining an "eligible student" as any student who would qualify to attend the charter school if it were a regular district school, and who would be automatically eligible for enrollment without a separate application. If more eligible students from the town where the charter school is located, or siblings of current students, apply than there are spaces, an "opt-out admissions lottery" will be used, meaning all eligible students are automatically entered and a lottery determines who gets in. This lottery process also applies if there are more spaces than local and sibling applicants. The bill also allows charter schools to become "regional charter schools," which would be exempt from the local preference rule but would still prioritize siblings of current students, and would use a single lottery if there are more eligible students than available spaces. Horace Mann charter schools will continue to follow their specific enrollment priorities within this lottery framework.