§ 338.120 — Additional requirements for virtual public charter schools; access to documents

Oregon § 338.120

• Jurisdiction: Oregon
• Vol.: 9
• Title 30: Education and Culture
• Ch.: 338

Text

(1) In addition to any other requirements of this chapter for a public charter school, a virtual public charter school must have:
(a) A plan for academic achievement that addresses how the school will improve student learning and meet academic content standards required by ORS 329.045.
(b) Performance criteria the school will use to measure the progress of the school in meeting the academic performance goals set by the school for its first five years of operation.
(c) A plan for implementing the proposed education program of the school by directly and significantly involving parents and guardians of students enrolled in the school and involving the professional employees of the school.
(d) A budget, business plan and governance plan for the operation of the school.
(e) In the charter of the school, a requirement that the school:
(A) Monitor and track student progress and attendance; and
(B) Provide student assessments in a manner that ensures that an individual student is being assessed and that the assessment is valid.
(f) Notwithstanding ORS 338.135 (7), a plan to ensure that:
(A) All superintendents, assistant superintendents and principals of the school are licensed to administer by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission; and
(B) Teachers who are licensed to teach by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission teach at least 95 percent of the school’s instructional hours.
(g) A plan for maintaining student records and school records, including financial records, at a designated central office of operations that is located:
(A) If the sponsor is a school district, within the school district that is the sponsor and as specified in the charter of the school; or
(B) If the sponsor is the State Board of Education, at a central office located in Oregon and as specified in the charter of the school.
(h) A plan to provide equitable access to the education program of the school by ensuring that each student enrolled in the school:
(A) Has access to and use of computer and printer equipment as needed;
(B) Is offered an Internet service cost reimbursement arrangement under which the school reimburses the parent or guardian of the student, at a rate set by the school, for the costs of obtaining Internet service at the minimum connection speed required to effectively access the education program provided by the school; or
(C) Has access to and use of computer and printer equipment and is offered Internet service cost reimbursement.
(i) A plan to provide access to computer and printer equipment and the Internet service cost reimbursement as described in paragraph (h) of this subsection by students enrolled in the school who are from families that qualify as low-income under Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.).
(j) A plan to conduct school-sponsored optional educational events at least six times each school year at locations selected to provide convenient access to all students enrolled in the school who want to participate.
(k) A plan to conduct meetings at least twice a week between teachers and students enrolled in the school, either in person or through the use of conference calls or other technology.
(L) A plan to provide opportunities for face-to-face meetings between teachers and students enrolled in the school at least six times each school year.
(m) A plan to provide, at the time of a student’s enrollment, written notice to the sponsor and, if different, to the school district where the student is a resident. Notification must be provided within 10 days after enrollment and must include:
(A) The name, age and address of the student; and
(B) The name of the school in which the student was formerly enrolled.
(n) A plan to provide, at the time of a student’s withdrawal for a reason other than graduation from high school, written notice to the sponsor and, if different, to the school district where the student is a resident. Notification must be provided within 10 days after withdrawal and must include:
(A) The name, age and address of the student;
(B) The reason the student no longer is enrolled and, if applicable, the name of the school in which the student will enroll, if known to the virtual public charter school; and
(C) The last day on which the student was enrolled at the virtual public charter school.
(o) An agreement to provide a student’s education records to the student’s resident school district or to the sponsor, upon request of the resident school district or sponsor.
(2) For a virtual public charter school:
(a) A person who is a member of the school district board for the sponsor of the virtual public charter school may not be:
(A) An employee of the virtual public charter school;
(B) A member of the governing body of the virtual public charter school; or
(C) An employee or other representative of any third-party entity with which the virtual public charter school has entered into a contract to provide educational services.
(b) A person who is a member of the governing body of the virtual public charter school may not be an employee of a third-party entity with which the virtual public charter school has entered, or intends to enter, into a contract to provide educational services.
(3) If a virtual public charter school enters into a contract with a third-party entity to provide educational services for the virtual public charter school:
(a) No employee or member of the governing board of the third-party entity may attend an executive session of the school district board of the school district that is the sponsor of the virtual public charter school;
(b) An employee of the virtual public charter school may not promote the sale or benefits of private supplemental services or classes offered by the third-party entity;
(c) The educational services provided by the third-party entity must be consistent with state standards and requirements, and must be changed on the same timelines that changes are imposed on the nonvirtual public charter schools of this state; and
(d) The virtual public charter school must have on file the third-party entity’s budget for the provision of educational services and that budget must itemize:
(A) The salaries of supervisory and management personnel and consultants who are providing educational or related services for a public charter school in this state; and
(B) The annual operating expenses and profit margin of the third-party entity for providing educational services to a public charter school in this state.
(4)(a) The sponsor or a member of the public may request access to any of the documents described in subsections (1) and (3)(d) of this section that are public records, as provided by ORS 192.311 to 192.478.
(b) Upon request by a sponsor or a member of the public, a virtual public charter school must provide reasonable access to the documents described in subsections (1) and (3)(d) of this section that are public records, as provided by ORS 192.311 to 192.478. The documents may be provided electronically.

Legislative History

2009 c.691 §8; 2010 c.72 §1; 2011 c.649 §1; 2011 c.684 §2; 2017 c.726 §4