Madison Metropolitan School District
Board of Education Policies and Procedures

POLICY	CHARTER SCHOOLS	10000

It is the policy of the School Board to consider the establishment of charter schools as provided by law. The Board believes that the creation of charter schools could enhance the educational opportunities for Madison Metropolitan School District students by providing innovative and distinctive educational programs and by giving parents/students more educational options within the District.

PROCEDURE	CHARTER SCHOOLS	10000

1. Initiation of Process to Establish a Charter School.
   1. Initiation of Process. The process to establish a charter school may be initiated in one of the following five ways.
      1. The Board may request initial proposals to establish a charter school. An initial proposal shall include the contents listed in Section II.A. and shall meet any other requirements established by the Board.
      2. The Board, Superintendent or an individual Board member may present an initial proposal that includes the contents listed in Section II.A. to initiate a charter school to the Board at any time.
      3. Two or more Board members may present/sponsor an externally-developed detailed proposal, meeting the requirements defined under Section III.B., either (1) after the Board as a whole addresses an initial proposal and chooses not to request a detailed proposal; or (2) in lieu of seeking Board support for an initial proposal and prior to the deadline established for submitting a petition under Section III.A.
      4. A petition to establish a charter school signed by at least 5% of the teachers employed by the District or by at least 25% of the teachers employed at one school of the District may be filed with the District clerk or his/her designee along with an initial proposal to initiate a charter school. Such a petition shall be presented to the Board prior to May 1 of the school year that leaves one full additional school year prior to the school year in which the charter school is proposed to be initiated. (e.g. prior to 5/1/08 for the initiation of a charter school at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.)
      5. Any person attempting to initiate a charter school by petition may elect to proceed directly with a full statutory petition and detailed proposal (See Section III.A of this Policy) in lieu of an initial petition and initial proposal.
2. Initial Proposal.
   1. Content of Initial Proposal. An initial proposal to establish a charter school shall, at a minimum, contain the following information.
      1. Vision and philosophy:

         A description of the educational vision and philosophy of the proposed charter school.

         A description of how the proposed charter school supports and advances the District’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities and goals as established by the School Board, including a description of how the proposed charter school aligns with and advances the District’s Educational Framework and the Framework’s key principles of student engagement, relationships, and learning.

         The underlying theories of research.

         A description of why a charter school is necessary to achieve the vision.

         A description of how this charter school is unique and how it will differ from the schools and programs now available to students enrolled in the District.

      2. Purpose:

         A statement as to why the charter school is being proposed.

      3. Leadership and Governance:

         The name of the person or persons seeking to establish the charter school.

         The relationship of the charter school to the overall organization of the District, the Board and Administration.

      4. Any other information that the sponsor of the initial proposal believes that the Board may find helpful in addressing the initial proposal, including but not limited to any available information that might be included within a detailed proposal, as defined within this Policy, or within an application for Charter School Planning Phase Funds.
   2. Public Hearing on Initial Proposal. The Board may determine by majority vote to hold a public hearing on any initial proposal to establish a charter school.
   3. Decision to Request a Detailed Proposal.
      1. Following the receipt of an initial proposal, the Board shall determine by majority vote whether to request the preparation of a detailed proposal for the establishment of a charter school. In making this decision, the Board shall consider criteria that include, but are not limited to, the level of employee and parental support for the establishment of the charter school, and the fiscal impact of the establishment of the charter school on the School District. If the Board passes a resolution requesting the submission of a detailed proposal for a charter school following the submission of an initial proposal, the Board may also direct the Administration to work in conjunction with the person(s) seeking to establish the charter school on the development of a detailed proposal.
      2. For requests initiated under Section I.A.4., a Board request for development of a detailed proposal shall not be construed as either approval of a petition for a proposed charter school or as an act that relieves the person(s) seeking to establish a charter school of the requirement that the person(s) submit a formal petition that meets the requirements of Wis. Stat. 118.40(1m).
      3. In any case where the Board does not request the preparation of a detailed proposal following receipt of an initial proposal, the decision shall not preclude the person sponsoring the initial proposal from subsequently asking the Board to support an application for Charter School Planning Phase Funds as described in Section VII, provided that the Board has not already addressed such an application with respect to the same proposed school.
3. Preparation of Formal Petition and Detailed Charter School Proposal.
   1. Statutory Petition and Preparation of Detailed Proposal.
      1. Regardless of whether the Board passes a resolution requesting the submission of a detailed proposal, any person(s) seeking to establish a charter school by petition shall submit a petition and detailed proposal to establish a charter school that is signed by at least 10% of the teachers employed by the District or by at least 50% of the teachers employed at one school of the District. Any teachers signing a preliminary petition submitted under I.A.4 of this Policy may also sign the formal petition. The formal petition and detailed proposal shall be filed with the District clerk, or his/her designee, no later than September 15 of the year preceding the school year in which the charter school is proposed to be initiated (e.g. prior to 9/15/08 for the initiation of a charter school beginning at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.) The detailed proposal for the establishment of a charter school shall contain, at a minimum, the information in III.B.
      2. For any charter school proposal initiated under Section I.A.1, Section I.A.2., or Section I.A.3., no petition is required but the minimum requirements for the content of a detailed proposal shall be the requirements set forth below in Section III.B.
   2. Content of Detailed Proposal. The detailed proposal shall at a minimum contain the following information.
      1. Vision and philosophy: See components in II.A.
      2. Purpose: See components in II.A.
      3. Leadership and Governance: Components in II.A. plus the following:

         The name and professional qualifications of the person who will be in charge of the charter school and the manner in which the administrative services will be provided.

         The governance structure of the school, including the method to be followed by the school to ensure parental involvement.

      4. Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment:

         A description of the educational program of the charter school and examples that illustrate the instructional methods and professional practices that will be used.

         The methods the school will use to enable students to attain the educational goals under Wis. Stats. Section 118.01. The method by which pupil progress in attaining the educational goals under section 118.01 will be measured.

         The manner in which the annual audits of the programmatic operations of the school year will be performed.

      5. Personnel:

         The approximate staffing level that is planned for the charter school.

         The process for recruitment and assignment of the charter school staff.

         The process for supervision and evaluation of the charter school staff.

         The qualifications that must be met by the individuals to be employed in the charter school.

         A recommendation as to whether the charter school should be an instrumentality of the District. If it is determined by the Board that it will be an instrumentality of the District, then the Board shall employ all the personnel for the charter school. If the Board determines that it will not be an instrumentality of the District, then the Board shall not employ any personnel for the charter school.

      6. Students:

         The minimum and maximum number of students that will be enrolled in the charter school for the first year and for future years.

         The grade levels to be served during the first year and during future years.

         The procedures that the charter school will follow to ensure the health and safety of the pupils.

         The means by which the school will achieve a racial and ethnic balance among its pupils that is reflective of the District student population.

         The process for selection if interest exceeds projected/authorized enrollment.

         The requirements for admission to the charter school.

         The procedures for disciplining pupils.

         Information, if necessary, that identifies an alternative District school for pupils who reside in the charter school's attendance area and do not wish to attend or are not admitted to the charter school.

         Information related to the extent to which the charter school will be prepared to meet the special needs of the students.

      7. Business, Facilities and Operations:

         The proposed financial relationship of the charter school to the overall District budget.

         A budget for the first year of operation based upon stated enrollment assumptions.

         The business and support services to be provided by the District.

         The manner in which annual audits of the financial operations of the charter school will be performed.

         A description of the school facilities.

         The types and limits of the liability insurance that the charter school will carry and the effect of the establishment of the charter school on the liability of the District.

      8. Exemptions from Statutes, Policies or Contracts:

         The specific state statutes or district policies from which it will be particularly important for the charter school to be exempt.

         The anticipated variations or waivers in collective bargaining agreements.

      9. Involvement and Input:

         A description of individuals, groups and processes used in the development of the proposal.

4. Decision on a Detailed Charter School Proposal.
   1. Public Hearing on Proposal.
      1. Detailed proposals submitted in conjunction with a statutory petition: Within 30 days after the submission of the detailed proposal, the Board shall hold a public hearing on the proposal. The public hearing shall be held at least 45 days prior to the Board making a decision to enter into a contract to establish a charter school.
      2. Detailed proposals not submitted in conjunction with a statutory petition: The Board shall hold a public hearing on the proposal. The public hearing shall be held at least 30 days prior to the Board making a decision to enter into a contract to establish a charter school.
   2. Administrative Analysis. No later than 15 days prior to the Board making a decision to enter into a contract to establish a charter school, the Superintendent shall provide information to the Board regarding the proposal. Such information may include, but is not limited to, an analysis of how a decision to establish or not establish the proposed charter school will impact families to be served and the overall programs and operation of the District.
   3. Board Decision on Proposal. After the public hearing, the Board shall determine whether to enter into a contract to establish a charter school. In making its decision, the Board shall, at a minimum, consider the information included in the detailed proposal, the information provided by the Superintendent, whether or not the requirements of Board Policy have been met, the level of employee and parental support for the establishment of the charter school, and the fiscal impact of the establishment of the charter school on the District.
   4. Notification of State Superintendent. The Board will notify the State Superintendent of Public Instruction by March 1 of its intention to establish a charter school for the following school year. Such notification shall include a description of the charter school.
   5. Completion of Documents. By April 1 or as soon as practicable, after the decision of the Board to proceed with the creation of the charter school, the documents, including the contract, that are necessary to establish the charter school will be completed.
   6. Length of Approval. A charter school may be approved or renewed for a period of not less than two nor more than five years.
5. Review; Renewal; Revocation.
   1. Annual Review. A charter school established by the Board will be reviewed on an annual basis in accordance with the provisions of the charter.
   2. Time for Renewal. An application for the renewal of a charter school must be submitted to the Board no later than six months prior to the expiration of the existing charter. The Board shall decide whether to renew a charter school no later than five months prior to the expiration of the existing charter.
   3. Revocation of Approval. A charter may be revoked by the Board if any of the following occur:
      1. The charter school violates its contract with the Board.
      2. The pupils enrolled in the charter school fail to make sufficient progress toward attaining the educational goals under s. 118.01.
      3. The charter school fails to comply with generally accepted accounting standards of fiscal management.
      4. The charter school violates s. 118.40.
      5. For good cause.
6. Charter School Requirements and Prohibitions.
   1. Requirements. The charter school shall do all of the following:
      1. If the charter school replaces a District school in whole or in part, it must give preference in admission to any pupil who resides within the attendance area of that school.
      2. Be nonsectarian in its programs, admissions policies, employment practices and all other operations.
   2. Prohibitions. The charter school shall not:
      1. Charge tuition
      2. Discriminate in admission or deny participation in any program or activity on the basis of a person's gender, race, religion, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, marital, or parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability.

         [NOTE: The City of Madison defines gender expression in Madison City Ordinance Sec. 3.23 (2)(t) as follows:

         Gender Identity is the actual or perceived condition, status or acts of 1) identifying emotionally or psychologically with the sex other than one's biological or legal sex at birth, whether or not there has been a physical change of the organs of sex; 2) presenting and/or holding oneself out to the public as a member of the biological sex that was not one's biological or legal sex at birth;

         This means that gender identity refers to an individual's fundamental sense of themselves as being male or female, masculine or feminine. Gender identity does not always correspond to biological sex.

         The City of Madison's Ordinance Sec. 3.23 (2)(t) continues its definition of gender identity with an explanation of what is referred to as gender expression.

         3) lawfully displaying physical characteristics and/or behavioral characteristics and/or expressions which are widely perceived as being more appropriate to the biological or legal sex that was not one's biological or legal sex at birth, as when a male is perceived as feminine or a female is perceived as masculine; and/or4) being physically and/or behaviorally androgynous.

         This means that gender expression refers to the things like clothing and behavior that manifest a person's fundamental sense of themselves as masculine or feminine, and male or female. This can include but not be limited to dress, posture, hairstyle, jewelry, and vocal inflection.]

7. Applications for Charter School Planning Phase Funds
   1. The Board reviews applications for Charter School Planning Phase Funds that are awarded by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) in those situations in which a person/group is interested in the Board creating a charter school.
   2. Applications for Charter School Planning Phase Funds shall be completed by the applicant in accordance with the process and procedure established by DPI and filed with the Board.
   3. The applicant shall present a completed application to the Board at least two months prior to the deadline for submission of the application to DPI. Within one month after the application has been submitted to the Board, the Board will review the application, make a determination as to whether or not the Board supports the application and notify the applicant of the Board's determination. The President of the Board or his/her designee is responsible for notifying the applicant of the Board's determination.
   4. If the application is supported by the Board, the Board President or his/her designee will sign the Grant Application form indicating the Board's support of the application for Charter School Planning Phase Funds.
   5. If the Board supports the application and/or if the applicant receives Charter School Planning Phase funds from DPI, neither the Board's initial support of the application nor the fact the applicant received the Charter School Planning Phase funds, binds or commits the Board to authorize the creation of a charter school.

3/24/2008

Last Updated: Wed Apr 2 13:27:49 2008
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