222,18
Section
18. 120.21 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 120.21 (1) (a).
222,19
Section
19. 120.21 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 120.21 (1) (b) and amended to read:
120.21 (1) (b) The cost of such contracts under this subsection shall be paid out of the school district general fund.
222,20
Section
20. 120.21 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
120.21 (3) Any contract entered into by a school board that relates to providing online courses is open to public inspection and copying.
222,21
Section
21. 121.02 (1) (a) 2. of the statutes is amended to read:
121.02 (1) (a) 2. Ensure Subject to s. 118.40 (8) (b) 2., ensure that all instructional staff of charter schools located in the school district hold a license or permit to teach issued by the department. For purposes of this subdivision, a virtual charter school is located in the school district specified in s. 118.40 (8) (a). The state superintendent shall promulgate rules defining "instructional staff" for purposes of this subdivision.
222,22
Section
22. 121.83 (4) of the statutes is created to read:
121.83 (4) Notwithstanding subs. (1) and (2), if a pupil who is not a resident of this state attends a virtual charter school in this state, the school board that contracted for the establishment of the virtual charter school shall charge tuition for the pupil in an amount equal to at least the amount determined under s. 118.51 (16) (a) 3.
222,23
Section
23.
Nonstatutory provisions.
(1) Audit.
(a) The legislative audit bureau shall perform a financial and performance evaluation audit of virtual charter schools. The audit shall do all of the following:
1. Compare the amount paid by the state for pupils attending a virtual charter school through the Open Enrollment Program to the actual educational costs of pupils attending virtual charter schools.
2. Compare the cost of educating pupils in virtual charter schools to the cost of educating pupils in other public schools.
3. Determine the actual and potential effects of state payments for pupils attending virtual charter schools through the Open Enrollment Program on the budgets of the school districts in which the pupils reside and on other school districts.
4. Compare the academic achievement of pupils who attend virtual charter schools to the academic achievement of pupils of similar socioeconomic backgrounds who attend other public schools.
5. Determine the amount of pupil-teacher contact and one-on-one pupil-teacher interaction, categorized by grade level, occurring in virtual charter schools, as compared to other public schools.
6. Determine the percentage of pupils attending virtual charter schools to which each of the following applied in the previous school year:
a. The pupils did not attend school.
b. The pupils attended a public school other than a virtual charter school.
c. The pupils attended a private school.
d. The pupils attended a home-based private educational program.
7. Determine the level of satisfaction that pupils attending virtual charter schools and their parents or guardians enjoy with their schools.
8. Determine the extent to which virtual charter schools have created innovative educational programs.
9. Determine the extent to which special education and related services are provided to children with disabilities who attend virtual charter schools.
10. Determine the effect of the enrollment limit under section 118.40 (8) (h) of the statutes, as created by this act, on the ability of pupils to attend virtual charter schools.
(b) The bureau shall submit copies of the audit report to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees in the manner provided in section s. 13.172 (3) of the statutes by December 30, 2009.
222,24
Section
24.
Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication, except as follows:
(1) The treatment of sections 118.40 (4) (b) 1. and (8) (d) and 121.83 (4) of the statutes takes effect on July 1, 2008.
(2) The treatment of section 118.40 (8) (b) 1. of the statutes takes effect on July 1, 2009.