HB 1639-FN-A-LOCAL – AS INTRODUCED

2008 SESSION

08-2880

04/05

HOUSE BILL 1639-FN-A-LOCAL

AN ACT relative to charter school funding and enabling charter schools to receive school building aid.

SPONSORS: Rep. Casey, Rock 11; Rep. B. Shaw, Hills 16; Rep. Hunt, Ches 7

COMMITTEE: Education

ANALYSIS

This bill increases the annual tuition amount for charter school pupils to $7,000 per pupil and allows charter schools to receive school building aid.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

08-2880

04/05

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eight

AN ACT relative to charter school funding and enabling charter schools to receive school building aid.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Charter and Open Enrollment Schools; Funding. Amend RSA 194-B:11, I(a) to read as follows:

(a) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, [2006, $3,598] 2008, $7,000 annual tuition.

2 Charter and Open Enrollment Schools; Funding. Amend RSA 194-B:11, VII to read as follows:

VII. [No school building aid under RSA 198:15-a through 15-h shall be awarded to] Notwithstanding RSA 198:15-a through RSA 198:15-hh, and notwithstanding RSA 198:15-u through RSA 198:15-w, a charter school may receive school building aid for the purpose of acquiring land or buildings, or for constructing, reconstructing, or improving the charter school, [unless the building is owned by the school district, under lease to the charter school, and such lease does not include an option to purchase the building. A charter conversion school shall be eligible for school building aid] as follows:

(a) The amount of the annual grant to any charter school shall be a sum equal to 40 percent of the annual payment of principal on all outstanding borrowings of the charter school for the cost of construction or purchase of school buildings or for the cost of acquiring, developing, or renovating any land, buildings, or facilities to be owned by the charter school and used to educate pupils at the elementary and secondary levels.

(b) Charter schools applying for aid under this paragraph shall comply with department of education rules for school building aid for public school buildings.

(c) If the building ceases to be used as a charter school, or if the charter school governing board ceases operation of the charter school prior to repayment of school building aid funds or ceases operation of the charter school within 10 years of the date of charter approval, whichever is later, the charter school shall repay to the department of education any amounts paid in building aid plus any reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in recovering the amount due.

3 Charter and Open Enrollment Schools; Oversight Committee. Amend RSA 194-B:21, I to read as follows:

I. There is hereby established a joint legislative oversight committee. The committee shall jointly meet at least once a year and shall monitor the effect of this chapter, make recommendations for any legislative changes with respect thereto, and make recommendations to the legislature to reduce the scope of, ease the administration of, simplify the compliance with, and, where appropriate, recommend to the legislature elimination of regulations affecting charter schools [and reduction of the amount of paperwork required in connection with all public education and the state’s regulation thereof]. The committee shall include 3 senators appointed by the president of the senate, 3 members of the house appointed by the speaker of the house, and one member of the state board appointed by the chairperson of the state board who shall serve as a nonvoting member in an advisory capacity.

4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2008.

LBAO

08-2880

Revised 02/19/08

HB 1639 FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT relative to charter school funding and enabling charter schools to receive school building aid.

FISCAL IMPACT:

METHODOLOGY: