Under HB 29, an application for a public charter school must include a description of and justification for any waiver of state or local regulations that the school intends to request. Employees maintain all rights and responsibilities that exist under the applicable collective bargaining contract. Charter laws open new options for teachers, such as forming separate groups that provide the learning program under an agreement with the school. This gives teachers full control of the professional issues they have been unable to win through bargaining, as employees. A state that wants the maximum stimulus to change and improvement will not limit the opportunity for charters to be developed.
Local boards determine whether to allow the conversion of existing public schools.
This law severely restricts eligibility to submit a charter school application. A charter school negotiates with the local board for additional funding. The charter school should receive the full amount that would have been available for the student at the traditional public school. Letting students cross a district line to get to a charter school will provide a larger enrollment base for innovative and specialized schools and will diffuse the financial impact. The state must provide information on best or promising practices of its charter schools to each school district in the state.