Bill > H490

This bill aims to increase transparency and public accountability for charter schools by requiring them to make their original applications and charter agreements publicly available online, ensuring at least 50% of their governing board members are elected parents and, in high schools, students, and requiring all board members to file financial disclosure reports and identify potential conflicts of interest. It also mandates that charter school governing board meetings be held in the school district, be convenient for parents, and be open to the public, with minutes and other important school information like policies, budgets, and staff details also made available online. The bill further stipulates that charter applications must include language supporting teachers' and employees' rights to unionize and bargain collectively, and that charter schools must adhere to all state laws regarding freedom of information, public records, and public meetings, with escalating sanctions for non-compliance. Additionally, it requires charter schools to establish parent and educator advisory councils, post complete management company contracts online within ten days of execution, and for charter management organizations to provide full public financial disclosure. The bill prohibits individuals with financial ties to a charter management organization from serving on a charter school governing board, mandates that the governing board, not the management company, select and compensate the school's legal and financial services, and prohibits enrollment procedures that exclude or discourage certain students, requiring detailed enrollment plans and forms to be posted online. It also introduces an ombudsman office within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to handle parent appeals regarding enrollment, student classification, or withdrawal decisions, and establishes a system for DESE to track student mobility and require charter schools to report on student attrition, disciplinary actions, and withdrawals, disaggregated by various demographic factors. Furthermore, the bill requires that before a student withdraws, a document must be signed by the student, parent/guardian, and school personnel confirming the withdrawal is voluntary and that the school did not discourage continued enrollment, and that per-pupil funding be adjusted for enrollment changes. It also mandates that charter discipline policies include due process rights for students, such as the right to a hearing before long-term removal or expulsion, and that schools report annually on disciplinary actions and withdrawals with disaggregated data. The bill directs the board to establish standards for disciplinary codes to avoid discriminatory punishments and sets minimum qualifications for charter school treasurers, ensuring legal and financial services are independent of any education management company. Finally, it requires annual public disclosure of charter school financial documents, including details on funding sources, and reports on administrative expenses and student recruitment costs, as well as public disclosure of owners of non-public property used for charter schools and rent payments, with all vendor contracts over $25,000 to be publicly available online, and protects whistleblowers from retaliation.