Committee advances charter accountability bill; stakeholders oppose moratorium idea

Senator Erin Susinski brought Senate File 1311 before the Senate Education Policy Committee on March 12, 2025, proposing additional transparency and accountability requirements for Minnesota charter public schools and their authorizers.

The bill, as amended in committee, requires annual training for authorizers tied to Department of Education performance reviews, mandates charter boards establish finance committees (and involve authorizers on financial corrective actions), and requires authorizers to post charter contracts, performance reviews and notices of intervention or corrective action on their websites for five years. It also tightens conflict‑of‑interest rules for building/affiliate boards and requires livestreaming of closure hearings.

Joey Cienian, executive director of the Minnesota Association of Charter Schools, told senators the sector supports strong accountability and has worked with the legislature on prior reforms. He said a moratorium on charter openings would not…