10 SB 457/AP
Senate
Bill 457
By:
Senators Weber of the 40th and Moody of the 56th
AS
PASSED
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Code Section 20-2-2064 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to approval or denial of charter petitions, so as to provide that a local board
of education may act on a petition for a conversion charter school for a high
school cluster if approved by 60 percent of faculty and parents; to provide for
related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Code
Section 20-2-2064 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
approval or denial of charter petitions, is amended by revising subsection (a)
as follows:
"(a)
A charter petitioner seeking to create a conversion charter school must submit a
petition to the local board of the local school system in which the proposed
charter school will be located. The local board must by a majority vote approve
or deny a petition no later than 60 days after its submission unless the
petitioner requests an extension; provided, however, that a denial of a petition
by a local board shall not preclude the submission to the local board of a
revised petition that addresses deficiencies cited in the denial; and provided,
further, that the local board shall not act upon a petition for a conversion
charter
school,
including, but not limited to, a conversion charter for a high school
cluster, until such petition:
(1)(A)
Has been freely agreed to, by secret ballot, by a majority of the faculty and
instructional staff members of the petitioning local school at a public meeting
called with two weeks' advance notice for the purpose of deciding whether to
submit the petition to the local board for its approval; and
(2)(B)
Has been freely agreed to, by secret ballot, by a majority of
the
parents or guardians of students enrolled in the petitioning local school
present at a public meeting called with two weeks' advance notice for the
purpose of deciding whether to submit the petition to the local board for its
approval;
or
(2)
If for a high school cluster, has been approved by a majority of the school
councils in the high school cluster and has been freely agreed to, by secret
ballot, by at least 60 percent of the combined vote of the faculty and
instructional staff members of the high school cluster and the parents or
guardians of students who reside in the attendance zone of such high school
cluster present at a public meeting called with two weeks' advance notice for
the purpose of deciding whether to submit the petition to the local board for
its approval. Each school council within the high school cluster shall appoint
two representatives to a committee that shall conduct the
vote.
This
subsection shall not apply to a system charter school petitioning to be a
conversion charter school."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.