AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, universities and public junior colleges are authorized to operate a charter school within the same county as their campus. These charter schools are required to use innovative teaching methods and must have measurable student outcome goals. There are currently five universities that operate charter schools.
The charter educational program must be supervised by a faculty member with substantial experience and expertise in education research, teacher education, classroom instruction, or educational administration. A charter school's financial operations must be supervised by the institution of higher education's business office.
S.B. 955 would expand a university or junior college's authority to operate beyond the county in which they have a campus. A university-run charter school gives children exposure to higher education and allows student teachers to work innovatively in an alternative public education setting. S.B. 955 will expand learning opportunities to both students and student teachers.
As proposed, S.B. 955 amends current law relating to permissible locations of open-enrollment charter schools created by institutions of higher education.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 12.152, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 12.152. AUTHORIZATION. Authorizes the commissioner of education (commissioner), in accordance with this subchapter and Subchapter D (Open-Enrollment Charter School), to a grant a charter on the application of:
(1) a public senior college or university for an open-enrollment charter school to operate on the campus of the public senior college or university or at another location in any county in this state, rather than in the same county in which the campus of the public senior college or university is located; or
(2) a public junior college for an open-enrollment charter school to operate on the campus of the public junior college or at another location in any county in this state, rather than in the same county in which the campus of the public junior college is located.
SECTION 2. Provides that Section 12.152, Education Code, as amended by this Act:
(1) applies to an application for a new charter pending on or submitted on or after the effective date of this Act; and
(2) authorizes the holder of a charter granted before the effective date of this Act to operate a charter school at a location in any county of this state, provided that if the charter holder seeks to operate an additional campus and the commissioner's approval of the expansion is required under Chapter 12 (Charters), Education Code, the charter holder must obtain the commissioner's approval.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2015.