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Committee advances bill to allow abbreviated charter campus applications and create SOAR program for rural schools
Summary
The committee reported Senate Bill 63 to the full Senate; the bill permits authorized public charter schools in good standing to use an abbreviated application for a secondary campus and creates the SOAR program to support rural in‑person charter schools with attendance‑area designation, transportation rules and supplemental funding; counsel said the bill is permissive and no fiscal note was prepared.
The Senate Finance Committee voted to report Senate Bill 63 to the full Senate after counsel explained provisions to ease the process for existing authorized public charter schools to establish secondary campuses and to create the SOAR (Sustaining Opportunities for Academics and Rural schools) program.
Counsel told the committee the bill allows a charter school in good standing to submit an abbreviated application for a secondary location and requires an abbreviated application to describe facilities, insurance coverage and a detailed startup plan that includes financing tasks and individual responsibilities. The bill would permit a sponsoring public charter school to provide administrative and operational support and would authorize county boards and charter governing boards to jointly designate an attendance area for rural in‑person charter schools that would automatically assign students to the school and set transportation requirements.
The SOAR program is intended to support rural communities by preserving local schools, preventing unnecessary consolidation and providing supplemental funding to sponsoring schools. Counsel said rule‑making authority is granted to the state board and that the bill includes governance provisions for rural in‑person public charter schools.
Senator (Randolph) asked whether the bill imposed an unfunded mandate on local boards; counsel replied that because participation is permissive there is no fiscal note and no estimate was provided for local costs.
The vice chairman moved that Senate Bill 63 be reported to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass; the motion carried by voice vote and the bill will be reported.
What’s next: The bill has been reported to the full Senate; cost implications for local boards were not specified in committee.
