STATE CHARTER AND INTERDISTRICT MAGNET SCHOOLS


October 24, 2001		2001-R-0784
CHARTER AND INTERDISTRICT MAGNET SCHOOLS
By: Judith Lohman, Office of Legislative Research Alan Shepard, Office of Fiscal Analysis

You asked for a comparison of state laws and funding for charter schools and interdistrict magnet schools. You were especially interested in (1) how each type of school must be organized, including who can apply to start schools and how each is approved and (2) whether the law limits the students who attend such schools.

SUMMARY

The statutes prescribe the organization and approval process for charter schools in considerable detail while leaving much of the approval process for interdistrict magnet schools to the discretion of the education commissioner. Almost anyone may organize a charter school, while the applicants for magnet school authorization are limited to local boards of education and regional education service centers (RESCs). Interdistrict magnet school programs must contribute to the state's goal of reducing racial, ethnic, and economic isolation. Charter schools have no such requirement, though the extent to which they reduce isolation is a consideration in their approval.

As for students, the law limits the overall number of students who may attend each charter school. Consistent with the overall goal of reducing isolation, the law limits only the proportion of students from one district who can attend an interdistrict magnet school. Charter schools' student admissions and recruiting policies are set out in more detail than those of magnet schools.

The FY 2001-02 budget contains $33.3 million for magnet schools from General Fund resources and an additional $2.6 million for RESC- operated magnets from the FY 2000-01 surplus. For FY 2002-03 the amount of General Funds provided to magnet schools rises to $45.2 million. The Department of Education has recently requested a $6.0 million increase in this amount. This increased amount would be used to meet needs of the magnet schools not accommodated within the existing magnet school formula.

The biennial budget contains $14.7 million for charter schools from the General Fund in FY 2001-02 and $16.3 million in FY 2002-03. The Department of Education has not requested an adjustment in these amounts as they have for magnet schools.

CHARTER AND MAGNET SCHOOL COMPARISON

The table below compares statutory provisions governing interdistrict magnet school and charter school approval, programs, students, special education and transportation requirements. It also shows the funding for each type of school.

In addition to the requirements below for charter schools, other statutes govern charter renewals and revocations, staff qualifications, school evaluation, and charter application contents, among other things. Because there are no comparable laws on such matters for interdistrict magnet schools, they are not included here.

Table 1: Charter and Interdistrict Magnet Schools

Comparison of Laws and Funding

Charter School

Interdistrict Magnet School

Eligible Applicants

· Any person, association, corporation, organization, or other entity

· Public or independent institution of higher education

· Two or more boards of education cooperatively

· Regional education service center (RESC)

· Local and regional boards of education

· Regional education service centers

· Cooperative arrangements between two or more school boards

Ineligible Applicants

· Nonpublic school

· Parent or group of parents providing home instruction

· Regional vocational agriculture school

· Regional vocational-technical school

· Regional special education center

Program requirements

None

· Support racial, ethnic, and economic diversity

· Offer a special and high quality curriculum

· Require students enrolled to attend at least half-time

Approval Considerations

· Effect of school on reducing racial, economic, or ethnic isolation in its region

· Regional distribution of charter schools in the state

· Potential for over-concentration of charter schools within a school district or contiguous districts

For annual operating grants:

· Whether program is likely to increase student achievement

· Whether program is likely to reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation

· Percentage of enrollment from each participating district

· Other criteria as determined by the education commissioner

State Approval Preferences

· Schools serving children who live in priority districts or in districts where 75% or more of the students are members of racial or ethnic minorities

· Schools located at work sites

· Applicants that are higher education institutions

None

Approval Granted By

· State Board of Education (SBE) for state charter schools

· Local board of education and SBE for local charter schools

Education Commissioner

Approval Process

· SBE review for state charter schools; local board of education for local charters

· Public hearing in district where school will be located

· For state charter school, SBE must solicit and review comments from board of education of district where school will be located and from contiguous districts

· For local charter school, the local board must survey teachers and parents in the district to determine if there is enough interest

· SBE must vote on application within 75 days of receiving it; a local board must vote within 60 days of receiving an application and forward an approved application to the SBE within 75 days of receipt

· Approval by majority vote

· Approval may be subject to conditions

· Charters may be delayed for up to one school year for the applicant to prepare

· Determined by the education commissioner

· Interdistrict magnet schools receiving capital construction grants must comply with regular school construction requirements, including General Assembly approval as part of the annual school construction priority list

Student Limits

On and after July 1, 1999, each school may enroll no more than the lesser of

· 250 students or, if a K-8 school, no more than 300, or

· 25% of the enrollment of the school district where it is located

· On and after July 1, 2000, no more than 80% of students enrolled in the program can be from one participating district

· Private school students may enroll in public part-time programs so long as (1) they make up no more than 5% of the magnet school's full-time equivalent enrollment and (2) they are not counted for purposes of the state magnet school transportation grant

Student Admission Criteria

Required:

· Provide open access on a space-available basis

· If applicants exceed space available, must distribute places by lottery

· Promote a diverse student body

· Not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, athletic performance, or English proficiency

Optional:

· May limit enrollment to particular grade level or specialized educational focus

· May give preference to siblings if applicants exceed space available

· May not recruit students for purpose of interscholastic athletic competition

Student Transportation

· District where charter school is located must provide transportation to charter school for students living in district unless charter school makes other arrangements

· District has option of providing transportation to its students attending charter schools outside district. If it does, costs are eligible for reimbursement in regular school transportation grant

· Provided by the participating districts

· Same kind as provided to children enrolled in other public schools

· Special state transportation grants available up to $1,200 per student

Special Education

· School district where student lives must hold the planning and placement team meeting

· District must invite representatives of charter school to participate in the meeting

· On a quarterly basis, school district must pay charter school the difference between the reasonable cost of education for the student and the per-student amount the school receives from state, federal, local, or private grants

· Charter school is responsible for ensuring the student receives services mandated by his IEP

Same as charter school requirements except:

· Payments from districts do not have to be quarterly

· Magnet school is only responsible for providing services under IEP if student attends magnet program full-time

School Construction Funding

· May apply for low-interest loans from CT Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA)

· In FY 02 and FY 03 each is eligible (one time) for up to $500,000 in funds for school improvements or refinancing previous debt through state bond funds

· Eligible for 100% funding of construction projects through the state's school construction grant program

Operating Expense Funding

· Eligible for $7,000 per student paid in four installments of 25% of total grant in July, September, January and April

· Students in local charter school are counted in the ECS formula in the district in which they reside

· Students in state charter schools are not counted within the ECS formula

· Funding is formula based and is dependent on the enrollment mix amongst communities. Maximum grant is equal to 90% of the ECS foundation or $5,301.90 per student

· Additional aid provided in FY 01 and FY 02 for RESC operated magnets from surplus funds

· Students in magnet schools are counted within the ECS formula

School Transportation Funding

· Funding is provided to local and regional school districts through the normal School Transportation grant program for students provided transportation within district (mandated) and to those transported out-of-district (voluntary)

· Funding is provided through the normal School Transportation grant program for students transported within the district and through a separate grant of up to $1,200 per student for students transported out-of-district (expenditures over the $1,200 limit may be submitted for reimbursement in the following year in the normal School Transportation grant)

JL:ts

TOP

	*Charter School*	*Interdistrict Magnet School*
Eligible Applicants	· Any person, association, corporation, organization, or other entity · Public or independent institution of higher education · Two or more boards of education cooperatively · Regional education service center (RESC)	· Local and regional boards of education · Regional education service centers · Cooperative arrangements between two or more school boards
Ineligible Applicants	· Nonpublic school · Parent or group of parents providing home instruction	· Regional vocational agriculture school · Regional vocational-technical school · Regional special education center
Program requirements	None	· Support racial, ethnic, and economic diversity · Offer a special and high quality curriculum · Require students enrolled to attend at least half-time
Approval Considerations	· Effect of school on reducing racial, economic, or ethnic isolation in its region · Regional distribution of charter schools in the state · Potential for over-concentration of charter schools within a school district or contiguous districts	For annual operating grants: · Whether program is likely to increase student achievement · Whether program is likely to reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation · Percentage of enrollment from each participating district · Other criteria as determined by the education commissioner
State Approval Preferences	· Schools serving children who live in priority districts or in districts where 75% or more of the students are members of racial or ethnic minorities · Schools located at work sites · Applicants that are higher education institutions	None
Approval Granted By	· State Board of Education (SBE) for state charter schools · Local board of education and SBE for local charter schools	Education Commissioner
Approval Process	· SBE review for state charter schools; local board of education for local charters · Public hearing in district where school will be located · For state charter school, SBE must solicit and review comments from board of education of district where school will be located and from contiguous districts · For local charter school, the local board must survey teachers and parents in the district to determine if there is enough interest · SBE must vote on application within 75 days of receiving it; a local board must vote within 60 days of receiving an application and forward an approved application to the SBE within 75 days of receipt · Approval by majority vote · Approval may be subject to conditions · Charters may be delayed for up to one school year for the applicant to prepare	· Determined by the education commissioner · Interdistrict magnet schools receiving capital construction grants must comply with regular school construction requirements, including General Assembly approval as part of the annual school construction priority list
Student Limits	On and after July 1, 1999, each school may enroll no more than the lesser of · 250 students or, if a K-8 school, no more than 300, or · 25% of the enrollment of the school district where it is located	· On and after July 1, 2000, no more than 80% of students enrolled in the program can be from one participating district · Private school students may enroll in public part-time programs so long as (1) they make up no more than 5% of the magnet school's full-time equivalent enrollment and (2) they are not counted for purposes of the state magnet school transportation grant
Student Admission Criteria	*Required:* · Provide open access on a space-available basis · If applicants exceed space available, must distribute places by lottery · Promote a diverse student body · Not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, athletic performance, or English proficiency *Optional:* · May limit enrollment to particular grade level or specialized educational focus · May give preference to siblings if applicants exceed space available	· May not recruit students for purpose of interscholastic athletic competition
Student Transportation	· District where charter school is located must provide transportation to charter school for students living in district unless charter school makes other arrangements · District has option of providing transportation to its students attending charter schools outside district. If it does, costs are eligible for reimbursement in regular school transportation grant	· Provided by the participating districts · Same kind as provided to children enrolled in other public schools · Special state transportation grants available up to $1,200 per student
Special Education	· School district where student lives must hold the planning and placement team meeting · District must invite representatives of charter school to participate in the meeting · On a quarterly basis, school district must pay charter school the difference between the reasonable cost of education for the student and the per-student amount the school receives from state, federal, local, or private grants · Charter school is responsible for ensuring the student receives services mandated by his IEP	Same as charter school requirements except: · Payments from districts do not have to be quarterly · Magnet school is only responsible for providing services under IEP if student attends magnet program full-time
School Construction Funding	· May apply for low-interest loans from CT Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) · In FY 02 and FY 03 each is eligible (one time) for up to $500,000 in funds for school improvements or refinancing previous debt through state bond funds	· Eligible for 100% funding of construction projects through the state's school construction grant program
Operating Expense Funding	· Eligible for $7,000 per student paid in four installments of 25% of total grant in July, September, January and April · Students in local charter school are counted in the ECS formula in the district in which they reside · Students in state charter schools are not counted within the ECS formula	· Funding is formula based and is dependent on the enrollment mix amongst communities. Maximum grant is equal to 90% of the ECS foundation or $5,301.90 per student · Additional aid provided in FY 01 and FY 02 for RESC operated magnets from surplus funds · Students in magnet schools are counted within the ECS formula
School Transportation Funding	· Funding is provided to local and regional school districts through the normal School Transportation grant program for students provided transportation within district (mandated) and to those transported out-of-district (voluntary)	· Funding is provided through the normal School Transportation grant program for students transported within the district and through a separate grant of up to $1,200 per student for students transported out-of-district (expenditures over the $1,200 limit may be submitted for reimbursement in the following year in the normal School Transportation grant)