118.38(1)(a)7.
7. Licensure or certification under
s. 115.28 (7) or
(7m) other than the licensure of the school district administrator or business manager.
118.38(1)(a)9.
9. The requirements established for achievement guarantee contracts under
s. 118.43 and for achievement gap reduction contracts under
s. 118.44.
118.38(1)(b)
(b) Before requesting a waiver, the school board shall hold a public hearing in the school district on the request.
118.38(1m)
(1m) The school board shall specify in its request for a waiver its reason for requesting the waiver.
118.38(2)(am)(am) In determining whether to grant the waiver, the department shall consider all of the following factors and may consider additional factors:
118.38(2)(am)1.
1. Whether the requirement impedes progress toward achieving a local improvement plan developed under sec. 309 (a) (3) of
P.L. 103-227.
118.38(2)(am)2.
2. If the school board has adopted educational goals for the school district, whether the requirement impedes progress toward achieving the goals.
118.38(2)(bm)
(bm) The department shall promulgate rules establishing criteria for waiving the requirement to schedule at least the number of hours of direct pupil instruction specified under
s. 121.02 (1) (f) if school is closed for a reason specified in
s. 115.01 (10) (b) or
(c).
118.38(3)
(3) A waiver is effective for 4 years. The department shall renew the waiver for additional 4-year periods if the school board has evaluated the educational and financial effects of the waiver over the previous 4-year period, except that the department is not required to renew a waiver if the department determines that the school district is not making adequate progress toward improving pupil academic performance.
118.38(4)
(4) By July 1, 2000, the department shall submit a report to the governor, and to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under
s. 13.172 (3). The report shall specify the number of waivers requested under this section, a description of each waiver request, the reason given for each waiver request and the educational and financial effects on the school district of each waiver that was granted.
118.40
118.40
Charter schools. 118.40(1)(1)
Notice to state superintendent. Whenever a school board intends to establish a charter school, it shall notify the state superintendent of its intention. Whenever one of the entities under
sub. (2r) (b) or the director under
sub. (2x) intends to establish a charter school, it shall notify the state superintendent of its intention by February 1 of the previous school year. A notice under this subsection shall include a description of the proposed school.
118.40(1m)(a)(a) A written petition requesting the school board to establish a charter school under this section may be filed with the school district clerk. The petition shall be signed by at least 10 percent of the teachers employed by the school district or by at least 50 percent of the teachers employed at one school of the school district.
118.40(1m)(b)
(b) The petition shall include all of the following:
118.40(1m)(b)1.
1. The name of the person who is seeking to establish the charter school.
118.40(1m)(b)2.
2. The name of the person who will be in charge of the charter school and the manner in which administrative services will be provided.
118.40(1m)(b)4.
4. The methods the school will use to enable pupils to attain the educational goals under
s. 118.01.
118.40(1m)(b)5.
5. The method by which pupil progress in attaining the educational goals under
s. 118.01 will be measured.
118.40(1m)(b)6.
6. The governance structure of the school, including the method to be followed by the school to ensure parental involvement.
118.40(1m)(b)8.
8. The procedures that the school will follow to ensure the health and safety of the pupils.
118.40(1m)(b)9.
9. The means by which the school will achieve a racial and ethnic balance among its pupils that is reflective of the school district population.
118.40(1m)(b)11.
11. The manner in which annual audits of the financial and programmatic operations of the school will be performed.
118.40(1m)(b)13.
13. The public school alternatives for pupils who reside in the school district and do not wish to attend or are not admitted to the charter school.
118.40(1m)(b)14.
14. A description of the school facilities and the types and limits of the liability insurance that the school will carry.
118.40(1m)(b)15.
15. The effect of the establishment of the charter school on the liability of the school district.
118.40(2)
(2) Public hearing; granting of petition. 118.40(2)(a)(a) Within 30 days after receiving a petition under
sub. (1m) the school board shall hold a public hearing on the petition. At the hearing, the school board shall consider the level of employee and parental support for the establishment of the charter school described in the petition and the fiscal impact of the establishment of the charter school on the school district. After the hearing, the school board may grant the petition.
118.40(2)(b)
(b) A school board may grant a petition that would result in the conversion of all of the public schools in the school district to charter schools if all of the following apply:
118.40(2)(b)1.
1. At least 50 percent of the teachers employed by the school district sign the petition.
118.40(2)(b)2.
2. The school board provides alternative public school attendance arrangements for pupils who do not wish to attend or are not admitted to a charter school.
118.40(2)(c)
(c) The school board of the school district operating under
ch. 119 shall either grant or deny the petition within 30 days after the public hearing. If the school board of the school district operating under
ch. 119 denies a petition, the person seeking to establish the charter school may, within 30 days after the denial, appeal the denial to the department. The department shall issue a decision within 30 days after receiving the appeal. The department's decision is final and not subject to judicial review under
ch. 227.
118.40(2m)(a)(a) A school board may on its own initiative contract with a person to operate a school as a charter school. The contract shall include all of the provisions specified under
sub. (1m) (b) and may include other provisions agreed to by the parties.
118.40(2m)(am)
(am) At least 30 days before entering in a contract under this subsection that would convert a private school to a charter school or that would establish a charter school that is not an instrumentality of the school district, the school board shall hold a public hearing on the contract. At the hearing, the school board shall consider the level of employee and parental support for the establishment of the charter school and the fiscal impact of the establishment of the charter school on the school district.
118.40(2m)(b)
(b) A school board may not enter into a contract under
par. (a) that would result in the conversion of all of the public schools in the school district to charter schools unless the school board complies with
sub. (2) (b) 2.
118.40(2r)(a)2.
2. “Resident school board" means the school board of the school district in which a pupil resides.
118.40(2r)(b)1.1. All of the following entities may contract with a person to operate a charter school:
118.40(2r)(b)1.c.
c. On a pilot basis, the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
118.40(2r)(b)2.
2. A charter shall include all of the provisions specified under
sub. (1m) (b) 3. to
14. A contract shall include all of the provisions specified under
sub. (1m) (b) 1. to
14. and shall specify the effect of the establishment of the charter school on the liability of the contracting entity under this paragraph. The contract shall also include all of the following provisions and may include other provisions agreed to by the parties:
118.40(2r)(b)2.a.
a. A requirement that the charter school governing board adhere to specified annual academic and operational performance standards developed in accordance with the performance framework of the entity with which it is contracting.
118.40(2r)(b)2.b.
b. Provisions detailing the corrective measures the charter school governing board will take if the charter school fails to meet performance standards.
118.40(2r)(b)2.c.
c. A provision allowing the governing board to open one or more additional charter schools if all of the charter schools operated by the governing board were assigned to one of the top 2 performance categories in the most recent school and school district accountability report published under
s. 115.385. If the charter school governing board opens one or more additional charter schools, the existing contract applies to the new school or schools unless the parties agree to amend the existing contract or enter into a new contract.
118.40(2r)(b)2.d.
d. The methodology that will be used by the charter school governing board to monitor and verify pupil enrollment, credit accrual, and course completion.
118.40(2r)(b)2.e.
e. A requirement that the entity under
subd. 1. have direct access to pupil data.
118.40(2r)(b)2.f.
f. A description of the administrative relationship between the parties to the contract.
118.40(2r)(b)2.g.
g. A requirement that the charter school governing board hold parent-teacher conferences at least annually.
118.40(2r)(b)2.h.
h. A requirement that if more than one charter school is operated under the contract, the charter school governing board reports to the entity under
subd. 1. on each charter school separately.
118.40(2r)(b)2.i.
i. A requirement that the charter school governing board provide the data needed by the entity under
subd. 1. for purposes of making the report required under sub.
(3m) (a) 6. [
sub. (3m) (f)].
118.40 Note
NOTE: The correct cross-reference is shown in brackets. Corrective legislation is pending.
118.40(2r)(b)2.j.
j. A requirement that the charter school governing board participate in any training provided by the entity under
subd. 1.
118.40(2r)(b)2.k.
k. A description of all fees that the entity under
subd. 1. will charge the charter school governing board.
118.40(2r)(b)2m.a.a. A charter or contract may include grounds for expelling a pupil from the charter school.
118.40(2r)(b)2m.b.
b. If the charter or contract includes grounds for expelling a pupil from the charter school as permitted under
subd. 2m. a., the charter or contract shall include the procedures to be followed by the charter school prior to expelling a pupil.
118.40(2r)(b)3.
3. If an entity specified in
subd. 1. a. to
d. was operating a charter school itself immediately prior to July 14, 2015, it may continue to do so.
118.40(2r)(b)4.
4. No chartering or contracting entity under
subd. 1. may establish or enter into a contract for the establishment of a virtual charter school.
118.40(2r)(bm)1.1. The Gateway technical college district board may contract for the establishment of a charter school located only in the Gateway technical college district.
118.40(2r)(bm)2.
2. The county executive of Waukesha County may contract for the establishment of a charter school located only in Waukesha County.
118.40(2r)(c)
(c) Only pupils who reside within the boundaries of the Gateway technical college district or in a county adjacent to the Gateway technical college district may attend a charter school established under a contract with the Gateway technical college district board.
118.40(2r)(cp)
(cp) The Gateway technical college district board may contract for the establishment of a charter school under this section only if the charter school operates only high school grades and provides a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or occupational education and training.
118.40(2r)(cq)
(cq) The sum of the number of charter schools operating under a contract with the college of Menominee Nation and the number of charter schools operating under a contract with the Lac Courte Orielles Ojibwa community college may not exceed 6.
118.40(2r)(d)
(d) The chartering or contracting entity under
par. (b) shall do all of the following:
118.40(2r)(d)1.
1. Ensure that all instructional staff of charter schools under this subsection hold a license or permit to teach issued by the department.
118.40(2r)(dm)
(dm) The operator of a charter school authorized under this subsection may provide transportation to pupils attending the charter school and may claim transportation aid under
s. 121.58 for pupils so transported.
118.40(2r)(e)2m.2m. In the 2013-14 school year, from the appropriation under
s. 20.255 (2) (fm), the department shall pay to the operator of the charter school an amount equal to $7,925 multiplied by the number of pupils attending the charter school.
