§ 21-3-308 — Hearing by authorizer; prohibited actions by authorizer; criteria; compliance with state standards; contractual authority

Wyoming § 21-3-308

• Jurisdiction: Wyoming
• Title 21: Education
• Ch. 3: SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN GENERAL
• Art. 3: CHARTER SCHOOLS

Text

(a) Not later than sixty (60) days after receiving an
application for any charter school which has been determined to
be complete pursuant to W.S. 21-3-307(b), the authorizer shall
hold a public hearing on the application, at which time the
authorizer shall consider the level of community and parental
support for the application if an application for a new charter
school, or the level of teacher and parental support if an
application for a converted charter school or charter school
within a school. The application review process shall also
include an in-person interview of the applicant or applicant
group. Following review of the application and the public
hearing, if applicable, and in accordance with subsection (d) of
this section, the authorizer shall either approve or deny the
application within ninety (90) days of receipt. In addition, the
authorizer may approve an application for the operation of a
converted charter school only if it determines teacher and
parental support for the conversion are established at the
levels required by W.S. 21-3-306(b). Prior to approving an
application for a charter school under this section, the
authorizer shall approve and adopt the content and terms of the
charter as provided in W.S. 21-3-307.
(b) No district board of trustees or agent of the board
shall require any employee of the school district to be employed
in a charter school or any pupil enrolled in the school district
to attend a charter school. No district board or its agent shall
harass, threaten, discipline, discharge, retaliate or in any
manner discriminate against any district employee involved
directly or indirectly with an application to establish a
charter school as authorized under this article.
(c) The applicant shall provide with the application
information regarding the proposed operation and potential
effects of the school, including but not limited to the
facilities to be utilized by the school, the manner in which
administrative services of the school are to be provided and a
demonstration that the school is adequately insured for
liability, including errors and omissions coverage, and that the
authorizer is indemnified to the fullest extent possible. A
district board may upon request of the applicant and approval of
the charter school application, make available for use by the
charter school any district facility which is closed, not
operational and otherwise feasible for use as an educational
building as defined under W.S. 21-15-109(a)(ii).
(d) Upon the approval of any application by the
authorizer, the applicant shall provide written notice of that
approval including a copy of the application to the state
superintendent. If the authorizer denies the application, the
authorizer shall not later than forty-five (45) days following
the date of its decision, notify the applicant of the denial in
writing together with its reasons for denial.
(e) A charter school may contract for the provision of
services and property subject to the following:
(i) The contract shall be executed in the same manner
and subject to the same restrictions as contracts by a school
district;
(ii) The charter school shall be subject to all
competitive bidding laws which apply to a school district;
(iii) The contract shall not exceed funds available
to the charter school;
(iv) The contract shall not exceed the remaining
length of operation for which the charter school was approved
pursuant to W.S. 21-3-309;
(v) Repealed by Laws 2021, ch. 169, § 4.
(f) A school district shall not discriminate against a
charter school in publicizing the district's educational options
through advertising, direct mail, availability of mailing lists
or other informational activities.
(g) Charter schools shall meet the state uniform
educational program standards imposed upon public schools by
W.S. 21-9-101 and 21-9-102 and the uniform state student content
and performance standards prescribed by the state board of
education under W.S. 21-2-304, including compliance with
requirements under the statewide assessment system pursuant to
W.S. 21-2-304(a)(v).
(h) Those teachers employed on a full-time basis in the
charter school system shall be subject to the same requirements
with respect to certification by the Wyoming professional
teaching standards board under W.S. 21-2-802 and other
qualifications as any other teachers authorized to teach in
Wyoming public schools.