Section 302 – Charter school application — Applicants — Contents.

• (1)
  • (a) An application to establish a charter school may be submitted by:
    • (i) an individual;
    • (ii) a group of individuals; or
    • (iii) a nonprofit legal entity organized under Utah law.
  • (b) An authorized charter school may apply under this chapter for a charter from another charter school authorizer.

• (2) A charter school application shall include:
  • (a) the purpose and mission of the school;
  • (b) except for a charter school authorized by a local school board, a statement that, after entering into a charter agreement, the charter school will be organized and managed under Title 16, Chapter 6a, Utah Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act;
  • (c) a description of the governance structure of the school, including:
    • (i) a list of the charter school governing board members that describes the qualifications of each member; and
    • (ii) an assurance that the applicant shall, within 30 days of authorization, complete a background check for each member consistent with Section 53G-5-408;
  • (d) a description of the target population of the school that includes:
    • (i) the projected maximum number of students the school proposes to enroll;
    • (ii) the projected school enrollment for each of the first three years of school operation; and
    • (iii) the ages or grade levels the school proposes to serve;
  • (e) academic goals;
  • (f) qualifications and policies for school employees, including policies that:
    • (i) comply with the criminal background check requirements described in Section 53G-5-408;
    • (ii) require employee evaluations;
    • (iii) address employment of relatives within the charter school; and
    • (iv) address human resource management and ensure that:
      • (A) at least one of the school’s employees or another person is assigned human resource management duties, as defined in Section 17B-1-805; and
      • (B) the assigned employee or person described in Subsection (2)(f)(iv)(A) receives human resource management training, as defined in Section 17B-1-805;
  • (g) a description of how the charter school will provide, as required by state and federal law, special education and related services;
  • (h) for a public school converting to charter status, arrangements for:
    • (i) students who choose not to continue attending the charter school; and
    • (ii) teachers who choose not to continue teaching at the charter school;
  • (i) a statement that describes the charter school’s plan for establishing the charter school’s facilities, including:
    • (i) whether the charter school intends to lease or purchase the charter school’s facilities; and
    • (ii) financing arrangements;
  • (j) a market analysis of the community the school plans to serve;
  • (k) a business plan;
  • (l) other major issues involving the establishment and operation of the charter school; and
  • (m) the signatures of the charter school governing board members.

• (3) A charter school authorizer may require a charter school application to include:
  • (a) the charter school’s proposed:
    • (i) curriculum;
    • (ii) instructional program; or
    • (iii) delivery methods;
  • (b) a method for assessing whether students are reaching academic goals, including, at a minimum, administering the statewide assessments described in Section 53E-4-301;
  • (c) a proposed calendar;
  • (d) sample policies;
  • (e) a description of opportunities for parental involvement;
  • (f) a description of the school’s administrative, supervisory, or other proposed services that may be obtained through service providers; or
  • (g) other information that demonstrates an applicant’s ability to establish and operate a charter school.

Amended by Chapter 293, 2019 General Session