AB 1507: Charter schools: location: resource center.

(1)Existing law authorizes a charter school that is unable to locate within the jurisdiction or geographic boundaries of the chartering school district to establish one site outside the boundaries of the school district, but within the county in which that school district is located, if the school district where the charter school proposes to operate is notified in advance of the charter petition approval, the county superintendent of schools is notified of the location of the charter school before it commences operations, and either the charter school has attempted to locate a single site or facility to house the entire program, but a site or facility is unavailable in the area in which the school chooses to locate, or the site is needed for temporary use during a construction or expansion project.

This bill would delete the authority of a charter school to locate outside the jurisdiction or geographic boundaries of the chartering school district because the charter school has attempted to locate a single site or facility to house the entire program, but a site or facility is unavailable in the area in which the charter school chooses to locate, or the site is needed for temporary use during a construction or expansion project. The bill would authorize a charter school that established one site outside the boundaries of the school district, but within the county in which that school district is located before January 1, 2020, to continue to operate that site until the charter school submits a request for the renewal of its charter petition, and would authorize a charter school to continue operating that site if, before submitting the request for the renewal of the charter petition, the charter school first obtains written approval from the school district where the site is operating. The bill would authorize a charter school to relocate for not more than 5 years a site located within an area subject to a Presidential declaration of a major disaster or emergency, issued in accordance with federal law, to an area outside the area subject to the Presidential declaration, as specified. The bill would require a charter school to be allowed to return to its original campus location in perpetuity if that charter school was relocated from December 31, 2016, through December 31, 2019, due to a Presidential declaration of a major disaster or emergency in accordance with federal law. The bill would exempt from the above-described charter school location provisions a charter school located on a federally recognized California Indian reservation or rancheria and or operated by a federally recognized California Indian tribe. The bill would require the State Department of Education to regard a charter school approved pursuant to the above-described provisions as a continuing charter school for all purposes.

(2)Existing law authorizes a charter school to establish a resource center, meeting space, or other satellite facility located in a county adjacent to the county in which the charter school is authorized if specified conditions are met.

This bill instead would authorize a charter school to establish one resource center, meeting space, or other satellite facility within the jurisdiction of the school district where the charter school is physically located if specified conditions are met, except as specified. The bill would require a charter school to notify the charter schools chartering authority of the name and physical location of any resource center, meeting space, or satellite facility operated utilized by the charter school. The bill would prohibit the State Board of Education from waiving those restrictions on the establishment of a resource center, meeting space, or satellite facility.

This bill would authorize a charter school or a countywide charter school that was operating a resource center, meeting space, or other satellite facility outside the jurisdiction of the school district or county, respectively, where the charter school is physically located before January 1, 2020, to continue to operate that resource center, meeting space, or other satellite facility until the charter school submits a request for the renewal of its charter petition, and would authorize a charter school to continue operating that resource center, meeting space, or other satellite facility if, before submitting the request for the renewal of the charter petition, the charter school first obtains written approval from the school district or the county office of education, as appropriate, where the resource center, meeting space, or other satellite facility is operating. The bill would authorize a charter school to relocate for not more than 5 years a resource center, meeting space, or other satellite facility located within an area subject to a Presidential declaration of a major disaster or emergency, issued in accordance with federal law, to an area outside the area subject to the Presidential declaration, as specified. The bill would authorize a charter school to establish additional resource centers, meetings spaces, or other satellite facilities within the jurisdiction of the charter schools chartering authority if specified conditions are met.

This bill would make a conforming change.