SB 1216: Charter schools.

(1)The Ralph M. Brown Act requires that all meetings of a legislative body, as defined, of a local agency be open and public and all persons be permitted to attend unless a closed session is authorized. The Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act requires, with specified exceptions, that all meetings of a state body be open and public and all persons be permitted to attend.

This bill, with respect to the operation of the charter school only, would clarify that the governing body of a charter school is subject to the Ralph M. Brown Act, unless the charter school is operated by an entity governed by the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, in which case the charter school would be subject to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act.

This bill would require the governing body of a charter school to hold its meetings within the physical boundaries of the state and in accordance with specified provisions related to those meetings, as provided, including a requirement that, if the governing body of the charter school operates charter schools in multiple school districts, a teleconference location be available within the geographic boundaries of each school district in which the charter schools are located. To the extent that this teleconference location requirement would impose new duties on charter schools, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)The California Public Records Act requires state and local agencies to make their records available for public inspection and to make copies available upon request and payment of a fee unless the records are exempt from disclosure.

This bill, with respect to the operation of a charter school only, would clarify that a charter school and the governing body of a charter school are subject to the California Public Records Act.

(3)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.