§ 20-2-2060. Short Title
This article shall be known and may be cited as the “Charter Schools Act of 1998.” History. Code 1981, § 20-2-2060 , enacted by Ga. L. 1998, p. 1080, § 3.
§ 20-2-2061. Legislative Intent
It is the intent of the General Assembly to increase student achievement through academic and organizational innovation by encouraging local school systems to utilize the flexibility of a performance based contract called a charter. History. Code 1981, § 20-2-2061 , enacted by Ga. L. 1998, p. 1080, § 3; Ga. L. 2002, p. 388, § […]
§ 20-2-2062. Definitions
As used in this article, the term: “Charter” means a performance based contract between a local board and a charter petitioner, the terms of which are approved by the local board and by the state board in the case of a local charter school; between the state board and a charter petitioner, the terms of […]
§ 20-2-2063. Charter Petitions
The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to govern the contents of a charter petition. The State Board of Education shall establish rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to provide for the receipt of charter petitions from a group of two or more local schools as a single charter petitioner to […]
§ 20-2-2063.1. Charter Advisory Committee Established; Members; Duties
The state board shall establish a Charter Advisory Committee to review charter petitions for compliance with established standards of the state board, to make recommendations to the state board on charter policy, and to provide recommendations to the state board regarding charter petitions. The committee shall be composed of nine members as follows: Three members […]
§ 20-2-2063.2. Charter Systems
The state board shall be authorized to enter into a charter with a local board to establish a local school system as a charter system. A local board seeking to create a charter system must submit a petition to the state board. Prior to submitting such petition, the local board shall: Adopt a resolution approving […]
§ 20-2-2063.3. Code of Principles and Standards for Charter School Authorizers
The State Board of Education and the State Charter Schools Commission shall jointly establish a code of principles and standards of charter school authorizing to guide local boards of education, the state board, and the State Charter Schools Commission in meeting high-quality authorizing practices. The principles and standards established by the state board and the […]
§ 20-2-2064. Approval or Denial of Petition
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 90 days after its submission unless the […]
§ 20-2-2064.1. Review of Charter by State Board; Charters for State Chartered Special Schools
Prior to approval or denial of a charter petition under this Code section, the state board shall receive and give all due consideration to the recommendation and input from the Charter Advisory Committee established in Code Section 20-2-2063.1. The state board shall approve the charter of a charter petitioner if the petition has been approved […]
§ 20-2-2065. Waiver of Provisions of This Title; Requirements for Operating; Control and Management
Except as provided in this article or in a charter, a charter school, or for charter systems, each school within the system, shall not be subject to the provisions of this title or any state or local rule, regulation, policy, or procedure relating to schools within an applicable school system regardless of whether such rule, […]
§ 20-2-2066. Admission, Enrollment, and Withdrawal of Students
A local charter school shall enroll students in the following manner: A start-up charter school shall enroll any student who resides in the attendance zone specified in the charter and who submits a timely application as specified in the charter unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or […]
§ 20-2-2067. Reprisals by Local Boards or School System Employees Prohibited
A local board of education or a school system employee who has control over personnel actions shall not take unlawful reprisal against another employee of the school system because such other employee is directly or indirectly involved with a petition to establish a charter school. A local board of education or a school system employee […]
§ 20-2-2067.1. Amendment of Terms of Charter for Charter School; Initial Term of Charter; Annual Report
The terms of a charter for a local charter school may be amended during the term of the charter upon the approval of the local board, the state board, and the charter school. The terms of a charter for a state chartered special school may be amended during the term of the charter upon the […]
§ 20-2-2068. Termination of a Charter
The state board may terminate a charter under the following circumstances: If a majority of the parents or guardians of students enrolled at the charter school vote by a majority vote to request the termination of its charter at a public meeting called with two weeks’ advance notice and for the purpose of deciding whether […]
§ 20-2-2068.1. Charter School Funding
A local charter school shall be included in the allotment of QBE formula earnings, applicable QBE grants, applicable non-QBE state grants, and applicable federal grants to the local school system in which the local charter school is located under Article 6 of this chapter. The local board and the state board shall treat a conversion […]
§ 20-2-2068.2. Facilities Grants for Charter Schools; Purposes for Which Grants May Be Used; Upkeep of Charter School Property; Availability of Unused Facilities
From moneys specifically appropriated for such purpose, the state board shall disburse facilities grants for local charter schools, state chartered special schools, and state charter schools as defined in Code Section 20-2-2081 for the purpose of providing facility funding more comparable to traditional public schools in this state. A charter school or state charter school […]
§ 20-2-2069. Office of Charter School Compliance
There is established within the Department of Education an Office of Charter School Compliance, the responsibilities of which shall be to: Prepare charter school and charter system guidelines to be approved by the state board; Distribute charter school and charter system petition information to inquiring parties; Process all charter school and charter system petitions and […]
§ 20-2-2070. Annual Report to General Assembly
The state board shall report to the General Assembly no later than December 31 of each year on the status of the charter school program. History. Code 1981, § 20-2-2070 , enacted by Ga. L. 1998, p. 1080, § 3; Ga. L. 2005, p. 798, § 17/SB 35.
§ 20-2-2071. Validity of Charters in Effect on July 1, 1998
Any charter which was granted pursuant to Code Section 20-2-255 and is in effect on July 1, 1998, shall continue to be valid until such charter expires according to its terms. History. Code 1981, § 20-2-2071 , enacted by Ga. L. 1998, p. 1080, § 3. Editor’s notes. Code Section 20-2-255, referred to in this […]
§ 20-2-2072. Training for Governing Board Members
The members of the governing board of the nonprofit organization of each charter school shall participate in initial training for boards of newly approved charter schools and annual training thereafter, conducted or approved by the state board. The state board shall provide for or approve such initial and annual training. For charter schools that are […]