The Senate charter plan: how do you apply?

Under the Senate amendments to House Bill 109, a charter school would be formed this way:

• By October 1, a person, group, or organization submits an application to a local school board
• The board decides on the application within 75 days, after holding a public hearing and getting advice from a review committee that includes parent, teacher, principal, business, and expert members.
• If the board approves the application, the board and the applicant negotiate a contract within 90 days, and the charter starts receiving funds on July 1.

The application itself will be no minor project.  It must list:

• A mission statement
• A program description
• The length of the charter the school wants (maximum of five years)
• A plan for how the school will be governed
• A plan for closing the school if necessary.

• Student achievement standards that meet or exceed the standards set by the Kentucky Board of Education.
• A method for seeing if students meet standards (for example, testing)
• Corrective action procedures if students do not meet standards

• Ages and grade levels to be served
• An enrollment and admission policy
• Discipline, expulsion and suspension rules
• Plans for transportation, food service, and health services
• The school calendar and school day schedule
• Methods and strategies for serving students with disabilities

• Employment policies and procedures
• A budget
• A plan for auditing the schools books
• Evidence both school and district will be economically sound
• A plan for insurance coverage

• All requests for release of the charter school from state laws and regulations and local policies and procedures

In some cases, a charter applicant might ask to use all or part of a building that is already being used.  In that case, the application must also include  a plan for the displacement of pupils, teachers, and other employees who will not become part of the charter operation.

On the one hand, all those elements are part of running a coherent school (or any other operation that delivers major services to many people through many employees).  On the other hand, if Kentucky enacts a charter law, putting all those pieces all together in an application will be a monster-size challenge for anyone brave enough to take it on.