I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2669

To provide a model for school districts in the United States using and 

building on the experience of the District of Columbia in establishing 

fully accountable public alternatives to traditional public schools. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 8, 2003

Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Government Reform 

A BILL

To provide a model for school districts in the United States 

using and building on the experience of the District 

of Columbia in establishing fully accountable public alternatives to traditional public schools.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Model Alternative Pub5 licly Accountable Schools Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds as follows: 
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1 (1) Because of its extensive use of public char2 ter schools and transformation schools, the District 

3 of Columbia has become a leading national model for 

4 providing children and parents with alternatives to 

5 traditional public schools. 

6 (2) The District of Columbia has the largest 

7 number of public charter schools per capita in the 

8 Nation. 

9 (3) Despite the unavailability of adequate facili10 ties and play areas at the District of Columbia’s 

11 public charter schools, they have proved a remark12 able success. The attractiveness of these schools to 

13 parents has increased exponentially, as demonstrated 

14 by the extensive wait lists for admission. 

15 (4) By designating certain low-performing 

16 schools as transformation schools and providing 

17 these schools with increased resources and special18 ized attention, the District of Columbia is making a 

19 significant difference in the performance of low-in20 come and other children who attend these schools. 

21 (5) Many school districts have failed to estab22 lish charter schools, and many are only beginning to 

23 consider removing low-performing schools from the 

24 procedures applicable to traditional public schools, 

25 as the District of Columbia has done in establishing 
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1 transformation schools from the low-performing tra2 ditional public schools. 

3 (6) The District of Columbia experience should 

4 be encouraged and further developed so that it can 

5 be used by other school districts as a model for of6 fering public school alternatives that provide services 

7 similar to the those available to targeted assistance 

8 schools under section 1115 of the Elementary and 

9 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6315) 

10 and charter schools under part B of title V of that 

11 Act (20 U.S.C. 7221 et seq.). 

12 SEC. 3. PURPOSES. 

13 The purposes of this Act are the following: 

14 (1) To provide a model for school districts in 

15 the United States using and building on the experi16 ence of the District of Columbia in establishing fully 

17 accountable public alternatives to traditional public 

18 schools. 

19 (2) To illustrate the range of public education 

20 possibilities, including—

21 (A) public transformation schools that 

22 focus on providing low-income children and 

23 other children from low-performing schools re24 siding in the District of Columbia and their 
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1 parents with expanded opportunities and en2 riched resources; and 

3 (B) public charter schools in the District 

4 of Columbia, for children whose parents so 

5 choose. 

6 SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW-INCOME 

7 PARENTS IN D.C. TO ENROLL THEIR CHIL8 DREN IN HIGHER-PERFORMING SCHOOLS. 

9 (a) PUBLIC TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS.—

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

11 appropriated for public transformation schools in the 

12 District of Columbia $12,000,000 for fiscal year 

13 2004 and such sums as may be necessary for each 

14 of the succeeding 4 fiscal years, to be used to ex15 pand opportunities for students in the District of 

16 Columbia to attend such schools and to fund the ad17 ditional services that are necessary to achieve contin18 ued improvements in the performance of the children 

19 in these schools. 

20 (2) PUBLIC TRANSFORMATION SCHOOL DE21 FINED.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘public trans22 formation school’’ means a public elementary or sec23 ondary school that—
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1 (A) is designated as a transformation 

2 school by the Superintendent of the District of 

3 Columbia Public Schools; and 

4 (B) is eligible for a schoolwide program 

5 under section 1114 of the Elementary and Sec6 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

7 6314) or targeted assistance under section 

8 1115 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 6315). 

9 (b) PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS.—There are author10 ized to be appropriated to the Direct Loan Fund for Char11 ter School Improvement (established under section 143(b) 

12 of the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2003 

13 (Public Law 108–7; 117 Stat. 131)) $3,000,000 for fiscal 

14 year 2004 and such sums as may be necessary for each 

15 of the succeeding 4 fiscal years, to be used to expand op16 portunities for students in the District of Columbia to at17 tend public charter schools in the District of Columbia. 

18 (c) AUTHORIZATIONS IN ADDITIONAL TO OTHER

19 FUNDS.—Any authorization of appropriations under this 

20 section is in addition to any other authorizations of appro21 priations available for the purposes of this Act. 

22 SEC. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOLS RE23 CEIVING ASSISTANCE. 

24 Not later than 90 days after the end of each academic 

25 year, the State Education Agency for the District of Co-
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1 lumbia shall prepare and submit to the Congress and the 

2 Mayor and City Council of the District of Columbia a re3 port on the progress for the academic year of all of the 

4 public transformation schools and public charter schools 

5 in the District that receive funds under this Act. 

6 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

7 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

8 this Act $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such sums 

9 as may be necessary for each of the succeeding 4 fiscal 

10 years.

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