What's the problem that needs a legislative solution?
A county board of education can override a local school board on the issue of whether to approve a charter school, thereby forcing the local school board to support the charter with resources that would otherwise go toward the education of children attending district schools.
What's your solution? Please include proposed language, if any. Be as detailed as possible.
Do not allow a county board of education to approve on appeal a district charter. Instead, if the county wishes to approve a charter school, the charter must be rewritten such that it is formed as a county charter with all money and resources for the school coming directly from the county. This would take the local school district entirely out of the equation.
Background information. (Please include any studies, reports, newspaper articles, personal experience, or anecdotal evidence relating to your proposal.)
Bullis charter school is taking advantage of this charter school loophole whereby the county approved their charter 3 times over the past 8 years on appeal, thus forcing the Los Altos School District to fund the charter and provide classroom space to them, despite having no oversight over their operations.
Are you aware of similar legislation previously introduced in California or in other states? If so, please include the author, bill number, and outcome of the legislation.
None that I know of.
Please describe any financial impacts (i.e., costs, savings, or revenue) you anticipate may be associated with your proposal.
The Los Alto School District has spent $600,000 alone defending itself against frivolous lawsuits filed by Bullis charter. This legislation would have prevented that money from being spent, and thus it could have directly benefited the education of our children in LASD. I'm sure there are plenty of other cost savings that LASD would realize. But more importantly are the intangible benefits of not having to deal with the distraction and stress that comes from the unrelenting divisiveness caused by the Santa Clara County Board of Education forcing the Los Altos School District to spend it's own time and resources on a charter it doesn't believe in, distracting it from the ultimate goal of educating our children.
Who do you think would support the bill? Consider legislators, the governor and his administration, state and local government agencies, and interest groups.
I think anyone with a rational thought process will realize that this is a necessary fix to close a loophole that shouldn't have been left open in the first place. It's OK for for a county to sponsor a charter school. It's not OK for a county to force a school district to sponsor a charter.
Who do you think would oppose the bill? Consider legislators, the governor and his administration, state and local government agencies, and interest groups.
Certainly those benefiting from the loophole and those who have been complicit in exploiting it: The Santa Clara County Board of Education and the Bullis Charter School.
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