Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 005 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Division 15 - Division of Learning Services
Rule 005.15.13-001 - Open-Enrollment Public Charter School and New Application

Universal Citation: AR Admin Rules 005.15.13-001

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024

ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

2013 APPLICATION

OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

A. GENERAL INFORMATION

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B. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Provide the mission statement of the proposed school.

Applicant Response:

Briefly describe the key programmatic features that the school will implement in order to accomplish the mission.

Applicant Response:

C. NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED CHARTER SCHOOL

The applicant for the proposed charter school, if approved by the authorizer, agrees to operate the educational program described below in accordance with the provisions described within this document, Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-23-101 et seq., the State Board of Education Rules Governing Charter Schools, and the attached assurances.

Provide a narrative description of the various components of the proposed charter school by responding to the following prompts:

1. Describe the results of the public hearing, which was held for the purpose of assessing support for the establishment of this public charter school. Provide copies of supporting evidence.

Attach documentation to demonstrate that each of the following requirements of Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-23-302 was met:

A. The notice of the public hearing was published on a weekly basis for at least three (3) consecutive weeks prior to the date of the hearing in a newspaper having general circulation in the school district in which the school will likely be located.

B. The notice of the public hearing was not published in the classified or legal notice section of the newspaper.

C. The last publication date of the notice was no less than seven days prior to the public meeting.

D. Within seven calendar days following the first publication of the notice of the public hearing, emails announcing the public hearing were sent to the superintendent of each of the school districts from which the open-enrollment public charter school is likely to draw students for the purpose of enrollment and the superintendent of any district that is contiguous to the district in which the open-enrollment public charter school will be located.

Applicant Response:

2. Describe the governing structure of the open-enrollment charter school, including board composition, selection process, and responsibilities. Also describe the role of the administrators, faculty, parents, students, and community members in the leadership and decision-making of the school. As part of your response, answer the following specific questions:

A. Identify what individual, job position(s), or entity(s) will have final decision-making authority for the school in the areas of (1) finance and purchasing; (2) student discipline; (3) hiring and firing of staff; and (4) hiring and firing of the school director or superintendent.

B. Specify how the final decision-maker(s) identified in response to (A)(3) will be selected or elected, including (1) length of term, (2) method of selection or election, and (3) who will have the authority to participate in the selection or election process.

C. Explain how and to what extent the school's leadership will be accountable to parents.

Applicant Response:

3. Give the mission statement for the proposed charter school.

Applicant Response:

4. Describe the educational need for the school. Include the innovations that will distinguish the charter from other schools.

Applicant Response:

5. Describe the educational program to be offered by the charter school.

Applicant Response:

6. List the specific measurable goals in reading, reading comprehension, mathematics, and mathematic reasoning based on the state mandated assessments, and any other assessment tools if used, for improving student academic achievement for each year of the public charter school's initial five-year period. For each goal, include the following:

* The tool to be used to measure the academic performance;

* The level of performance that will demonstrate success; and

* The timeframe for the achievement of the goal.

Applicant Response:

7. Describe the process that will be used to develop and align the curriculum with the Arkansas Curriculum Frameworks and the curriculum requirements of the Common Core State Standards as adopted by the State Board of Education.

Applicant Response:

8. Describe the manner in which the school will make provisions for the following student services, even in those areas for which a waiver is requested:

A) Guidance program;

Applicant Response:

B) Health services;

Applicant Response:

C) Media center;

Applicant Response:

D) Special education;

Applicant Response:

E) Transportation;

Applicant Response:

F) Alternative education, including Alternative Learning Environments;

Applicant Response:

G) English Language Learner (ELL) instruction

Applicant Response:

H) Gifted and Talented Program.

Applicant Response:

9. Describe the geographical area to be served by the charter. List all school districts within the geographical area likely to be affected by the open-enrollment public charter school.

Applicant Response:

10. Describe the plan for the school officials to provide an annual report to parents, the community, and the authorizer that demonstrates the progress made by the charter school during any previous academic year in meeting its academic performance objectives. (See ADE Rules Governing Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts.)

Applicant Response:

11. Describe the enrollment criteria and student admission, recruitment and selection processes for the proposed public charter school.

Applicant Response:

Check which of the following enrollment preferences, as permissable in Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-23-306(14)(C), would be allowed at the charter school.

[] Children of founding members of the charter school

[] Siblings of enrolled students

[] No enrollment preferences (No other boxes may be checked in order to select this option.)

It is affirmed that a random, anonymous student selection method will be utilized in the event that more students apply for admission to the open-enrollment public charter school than can be accommodated under the terms of the charter, except as allowed for in Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-23-306(14)(C).

[] Yes

[] No

If it is believed that the use of a weighted lottery is required by federal court or administrative order, explain and furnish a copy of the order.

Applicant Response:

12. Summarize the job descriptions of the school director and other key personnel. Specify the qualifications to be met by professional employees (administrators, teachers, counselors, etc.) of the program. List the types of administrative positions, teaching positions, and support positions for the school.

Applicant Response:

13. Explain how the school will conduct its business office. Tell about business office personnel and describe the process by which the school governance will adopt an annual budget.

Applicant Response:

14. Describe the manner in which an annual audit of the financial and programmatic operations of the school will be conducted. If the school wishes to request that the authorizer allow a licensed accountant or licensed certified public accountant, rather than the Legislative Auditor, to perform the first-year audit, identify the accountant by name, firm, address, and phone number. The named accountant must meet the requirements of ADE Rules Governing Publicly Funded Educational Institution Audit Requirements, including the prohibition on auditors providing non-audit services (such as accounting or consulting services) to auditees. A school's preference as stated in this application may not be changed without prior approval of the authorizer.

Applicant Response:

15. It is affirmed that the public charter school will participate in the Arkansas Public School Computer Network, as required by state statute and by State Board of Education rule, for reporting both education data and financial data, including grant funds or private donations received directly by the charter school.

[] Yes

[] No

16. Describe the facilities to be used. Give the present use of the facility. If the facility to be used for the school is a facility of a school district, describe the terms established by the local school board of the district stipulating the relationship between the proposed public charter school and the district pertaining to the use of the facility. Attach a copy of the agreement, signed by the president of the local school board, the chair or president of the governing body of the proposed open-enrollment public charter school, and the chief operating officer of the proposed charter. If the facility is not operated by a school district, attach a copy of the Facilities Utilization Agreement, signed by the entity owning or operating the facility and the chief operating officer of the proposed charter. A proposed lease may also be submitted but is not required. Please note that any lease or other debt must be approved by the Commissioner of Education.

Applicant Response:

Identify the owner(s) of the proposed facility and describe their relationship, if any, with:

(1) Members of the local board of the public school district where the proposed open-enrollment public charter school will be located,

(2) Employees of the public school district where the proposed open-enrollment public charter school will be located,

(3) The eligible entity sponsoring the open-enrollment public charter school, or

(4) Employees/directors/administrators of the sponsoring entity or proposed open-enrollment public charter school.

Applicant Response:

The facility will comply with all requirements for accessibility in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and all other state and federal laws and local zoning ordinances.

[] Yes

[] No

If the facility does not currently meet these requirements, provide a list of items that will need to be addressed to bring the facility into compliance. Also include a statement of permissible uses for the facility from the local zoning authority, and whether there are any alcohol sales within 1,000 feet of the facility.

Applicant Response:

17. For each and every individual specifically identified by name in Section A of the application (the contact person, chief operating officer, board members, and other individuals), identify any family or financial relationship which may exist between that individual and:

(A) Any other individual specifically identified by name in Section A of the application;

(B) Any individual or entity with whom the sponsoring entity or charter school has contracted, or intends to contract, to provide any services or products for the proposed charter school; and/or

For the purpose of this standard, an individual has a financial relationship with another individual or entity if he or she:

(1) Receives compensation or benefits directly or indirectly from the entity or individual;

(2) Is an officer, director, partner, employee, or owner of more than 5% of the shares of an entity that is a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or LLC; and/or

(3) Has a family member (spouse, sibling, parent or child, or the spouse of a sibling, parent, or child) who is an officer, director, partner, employee, or owner of more than 5% of the shares of an entity that is a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or LLC.

Applicant Response:

Explain the procedures to be followed if a conflict of interest is identified. The procedures must ensure that all actions are in the best interest of the school and the students at the school.

Applicant Response:

18. Describe the manner in which the school will make provisions for food services. State whether the proposed charter school will apply to participate in the federal National School Lunch program or other federal nutrition programs.

Applicant Response:

19. Describe how the parents or guardians of the enrolled students and other members of the community will be involved with the school to positively impact the charter school's educational programs.

Applicant Response:

20. List the provisions of Title 6 of the Arkansas Code Annotated (Education Code), State Board of Education rules, and sections of the Standards for Accreditation of Arkansas Public Schools and School Districts from which the public charter school seeks to be exempted in order to meet the goals of the school. Identify the specific statute, rule, or standard requested to be waived by title and section number if applicable. Provide a brief description of the rationale for each waiver requested.

Applicant Response:

21. Describe the potential impact of the proposed public charter school on the efforts of affected public school district(s) to comply with court orders and statutory obligations to create and maintain a unitary system of desegregated public schools.

Applicant Response:

22. Identify the two or three key individuals responsible for this application. Discuss the experience and qualifications of each. Explain what the founders are doing or will do to ensure the success of the charter school when others are in leadership roles.

Applicant Response:

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2013 APPLICATION

OPEN-ENROLLMENT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

STATEMENT OF ASSURANCES

The signature of the president of the board of directors of the proposed public charter school's sponsoring entity certifies that the following statements are and will be addressed through policies adopted by the sponsoring entity and policies to be adopted by the public charter school; and, if the application is approved, that the sponsoring entity, governing body, administration, and staff of the open-enrollment charter shall abide by them:

1. The information submitted in this application is true to the best of my knowledge and belief, and this application has been sent to the superintendent of all the districts from which we intend to draw students.

2. The open-enrollment public charter school shall be open to all students, on a space-available basis, and shall not discriminate in its admission policy on the basis of gender, national origin, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, or academic or athletic eligibility, except as follows: the open-enrollment public charter school may adopt admissions policies that are consistent with federal law, regulations, or guidelines applicable to charter schools. The charter may provide for the exclusion of a student who has been expelled from another public school district.

3. In accordance with federal and state laws, the open-enrollment public charter school hiring and retention policies of administrators, teachers, and other employees shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, age, ancestry, or special need.

4. The open-enrollment public charter school shall operate in accordance with federal laws and rules governing public schools; applicable provisions of the Arkansas Constitution; and state statutes or regulations governing public schools not waived by the approved charter.

5. The open-enrollment public charter school shall not use the moneys that it receives from the state for any sectarian program or activity, or as collateral for debt.

However, open-enrollment public charter schools may enter into lease-purchase agreements for school buildings built by private entities with facilities bonds exempt from federal taxes under 26 USCS 142(a) as allowed by Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-20-402. No indebtedness of an open-enrollment public charter school shall ever become a debt of the state of Arkansas.

6. The open-enrollment public charter school shall not impose taxes or charge students tuition or fees that would not be allowable charges in the public school districts.

7. The open-enrollment public charter school shall not be religious in its operations or programmatic offerings.

8. The open-enrollment public charter school shall ensure that any of its employees who qualify for membership in the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System or the State and Public School Employee Insurance Program shall be covered under those systems to the same extent a qualified employee of a traditional school district is covered.

9. The employees and volunteers of the open-enrollment public charter school are held immune from liability to the same extent as other public school district employees and volunteers under applicable state laws.

10. The open-enrollment public charter school shall be reviewed for its potential impact on the efforts of a public school district or public school districts to comply with court orders and statutory obligations to create and maintain a unitary system of desegregated public schools.

11. The open-enrollment public charter school shall comply with all health and safety laws, rules and regulations of the federal, state, county, region, or community that may apply to the facilities and school property.

12. The applicant confirms the understanding that certain provisions of state law shall not be waived. The open-enrollment public charter school is subject to any prohibition, restriction, or requirement imposed by Title 6 of the Arkansas Code Annotated and any rule and regulation approved by the State Board of Education under this title relating to:

(a) Monitoring compliance with Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-23-101 et seq. as determined by the Commissioner of the Department of Education;

(b) Conducting criminal background checks for employees;

(d) Special education programs as provided by this title;

(e) Public school accountability under this title;

(f) Ethical guidelines and prohibitions as established by Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-24-101 et seq., and any other controlling state or federal law regarding ethics or conflicts of interest; and

(g) Health and safety codes as established by the State Board of Education and local governmental entities.

13. The facilities of the public charter school shall comply with all requirements for accessibility for individuals with disabilities in accordance with the ADA and IDEA and all other state and federal laws.

14. Should the open-enrollment public charter school voluntarily or involuntary close, the applicant confirms the understanding that any fees associated with the closing of the school including, but not limited to, removal of furniture, equipment, general expenses, etc., are the sole responsibility of the sponsoring entity. No indebtedness of any kind incurred or created by the open-enrollment public charter school shall constitute an indebtedness of the state or its political subdivisions, and no indebtedness of the open-enrollment public charter school shall involve or be secured by the faith, credit, or taxing power of the state or its political subdivisions. Upon dissolution of the open-enrollment public charter school or upon nonrenewal or revocation of the charter, all net assets of the open-enrollment public charter school, including any interest in real property, purchased with public funds shall be deemed the property of the state, unless otherwise specified in the charter of the open-enrollment public charter school. If the open-enrollment public charter school used state or federal funds to purchase or finance personal property, real property or fixtures for use by the open-enrollment public charter school, the authorizer may require that the property be sold. The state has a perfected priority security interest in the net proceeds from the sale or liquidation of the property to the extent of the public funds used in the purchase.

____________________________________ ___________________

Signature of President of the Sponsoring Entity Board of Director Date

____________________________________

Printed Name

Instructions for Completing the 2013 Open-Enrollment Public Charter School Application

TIMELINE

Monday, July 1, 2013

Deadline for open-enrollment letters of intent to be filed with the Arkansas Department of Education

Monday, July 15, 2013

Open-Enrollment Public Charter School Applicant Workshop to be held in the Department of Education Auditorium, Four Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201 APPLICANT ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY.

TBD

Notice of the public hearing about the proposed charter to be emailed to the superintendent of each district from which the open-enrollment public charter school is likely to draw students and the superintendent of any district that is contiguous to the district in which the school will be located

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Deadline for open-enrollment applications to be filed with the Arkansas Department of Education and superintendent of each public school district likely to be affected by proposed charter school

September/October

Deadline for local school board where the proposed open-enrollment public charter school will be located to submit to the Arkansas Department of Education and the applicant, written conclusions and results of any vote to approve the charter application

Decisions by local school boards, approving or disapproving applications, to be made within 45 days of the local school board's receipt of the application

October/November

Applicant interviews

Applications approved by the local school board will receive expedited consideration (pending hearing timelines). Any desegregation analysis submitted by the local school board must be filed with the Department of Education not later than 20 days prior to the authorizer's consideration of the application. Failure of the local school board of the district in which the proposed public charter school will be located to submit to the Department a desegregation analysis as set forth above shall result in a waiver of the local school board's right to submit such a desegregation analysis to the authorizer.

*Note - All information must be received in the Charter School Office of the Arkansas Department of Education no later than 4:00 p.m. on the date of the deadline. Information received in the Charter School Office after 4:00 p.m. on the established date will not be processed. It is the responsibility of the applicant to adhere to all charter application deadlines. Please take under consideration the length of the time that may be required for electronic submissions to reach the Charter School Office.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS ON COMPLETING THE APPLICATION

The application must be completed using the tillable form and the templates provided.

Note the following:

* There are a limited number of characters allowed for each response.

It is advisable to ensure that each response fits into the space allowed. Text that does not fit in the text boxes cannot be reviewed.

* Use the font and font size that are set for responses. If you type responses in another program, make certain that Arial font, size 10 is used and copied into the text boxes.

* Include a response in every text box.

* A complete application includes the tillable form with all other required documents attached at the end.

* When the tillable form is complete, create a flattened PDF by using a 'print to PDF' function, or by printing the completed tillable form and scanning it as a new PDF.

* The following documents must be scanned; signed as required; and attached, in the order listed, to the PDF after the completed application form:

REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS

APPLICANTS MUST USE ALL TEMPLATES THAT ARE PROVIDED.

* Evidence that the sponsoring entity is eligible to apply for a charter (non-profit entities must provide the determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service showing that that sponsoring entity is exempt from taxation under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or the sponsoring entity's application to the Internal Revenue Service for exemption from taxation under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code);

* Documentation showing that all requirements pertaining to the public hearing were met;

* Evidence of parental and community support (five-page limit);

* The proposed school's 2014-2015 calendar;

* The proposed school's 2014-2015 daily schedule;

* The 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 Salary Schedule and Budget template;

* The signed Facilities Utilization Agreement template; and

* The signed Statement of Assurances template.

ATTACHMENTS TO BE INCLUDED ONLY IF APPROPRIATE

* A facility lease;

* If an applicant believes that a weighted admissions lottery is required by federal court or administrative order, a copy of the order; and

* Documentation that amounts listed on the budget template as "Other Sources of Revenue" included in the budget template have already been awarded for the operation of the proposed school.

Save the PDF as "Proposed Charter School's Name 2013 Application."

In order for the application to be considered by the authorizer during the 2013 application cycle, submit the named PDF, via email, to the Arkansas Department of Education at the following email addresses so that it is received no later than 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3, 2013:

mary. perry@arkansas.gov

keisha.mattox@arkansas.gov

It is imperative that the email transmission time is considered as the application must be received at the Arkansas Department of Education by the deadline.

An application must be sent, via the same email transmission that the application is sent to the Arkansas Department of Education, to the superintendent of the public school district where the proposed public charter school will be located and the superintendents of other districts from which the charter is likely to draw students. Superintendent email addresses can be found at the following:

http://www.arkansased.org/contact-us/districts

Any application that is substantially incomplete will not be reviewed by Arkansas Department of Education staff or forwarded to the authorizer for consideration. An application will be considered substantially incomplete if it does not provide enough information to enable staff at the Arkansas Department of Education to provide a meaningful review.

APPLICATION NOTES ON SELECTED SECTIONS OF THE APPLICATION

Cover Page

Include the name of the proposed charter school in the text box.

Section A - General Information

If the sponsoring entity is a non-profit organization, the name of the sponsoring entity in this section of the application must match the name on the determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service or the application to the Internal Revenue Service.

The determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service showing that the sponsoring entity is exempt from taxation under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or the sponsoring entity's application to the Internal Revenue Service for exemption from taxation under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code must be included as part of the application. NO ARKANSAS STATE DOCUMENTS SUBSTITUTE FOR THIS REQUIREMENT.

Non-profit entities without the required Internal Revenue Service documentation are not eligible to be awarded charters; therefore, any applications submitted without the proper documentation will not be reviewed.

Applicants who have applied to the Internal Revenue Service for exemption from taxation under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code should note that it can be a lengthy process to obtain a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service. If awarded a charter, students may not be served and a local education agency (LEA) number will not be issued until the determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service is received at the Arkansas Department of Education.

Section B - Executive Summary

The mission statement will populate the response for Prompt #3. Include the key programmatic features that are considered the most important for anyone to know about the charter school and make certain that the features listed in the executive summary are discussed in other sections of the application.

Section C - Narrative Description

When responding to the prompts, refer to the Arkansas Department of Education 2013 Open-Enrollment Public Charter School Application Scoring Rubric found at the end of this document. This is a valuable tool as it describes acceptable responses.

Prompt 3

The mission statement from the executive summary will populate as the response to this prompt.

Prompt 8 D

In accordance with federal guidelines, students with disabilities shall be provided specific services and all aspects of IDEA apply. The public charter school cannot waive the responsibility of providing services for students with disabilities.

Prompt 12 and Prompt 13

The personnel discussed in these sections of the application must be included with the personnel listed in the Salary Schedule and Budget template unless it is clearly explained that the position will not be filled until after the second year of operation.

Prompt 16

Use the Facilities Utilization Form template that is provided. A lease may be included, but is not required.

An open-enrollment public charter school shall not commence operations with students in any facility unless the school has obtained a certificate of occupancy issued by a local code official approved by the state fire marshal, a certificate of occupancy or other approval of the state fire marshal, or a certificate of substantial completion issued by a licensed architect. The occupancy limits of any facility are determined by the local code official or state fire marshal.

NOTES ON SELECTED ATTACHMENTS REQUIRED TO BE ADDED TO THE END OF THE FILLABLE FORM

Evidence of parental and community support

Limit the response to five pages.

If petitions in support of the proposed charter school have been signed, include pages so that the five-page limit is met. Add a statement to the last page of petitions or include a separate page, so long as the five-page limit is not exceeded, that states the number of individuals who signed a petition supporting the proposed school and stating that all documents with signatures will be provided on request. Keep the petitions as they may be requested for review at a later date.

If letters in support of the proposed charter school have been received, include letters so that the five-page limit is met. Add a statement to the last page of the last letter or include a separate page, so long as the five-page limit is not exceeded, that names the individuals who wrote letters of support for the proposed school, with their titles and affiliations. State that the letters will be provided on request. Keep the letters as they may be requested for review at a later date.

The Salary Schedule and Budget Template

See pages 6-9 for guidance in completing this template.

Facilities Utilization Agreement Template

This form must be completed, signed, and included as part of the application.

Statement of Assurances Template

This form must be completed, signed, and included as part of the application.

COMPLETING THE SALARY SCHEDULE AND BUDGET TEMPLATE

Personnel Salary Schedule

* As requested, list positions.

* In the cell immediately to the right of each named position, whether named by the applicant, as required for administrative positions, or provided on the template, as for teachers and aides, state the number of full time equivalents (FTEs) to be employed by the charter school in 2014-2015.

NOTES

The number of positions must be stated as the full time equivalent (FTE) of each position. A full time position is 1.00; a half time position is .50. For example, if the charter will have 5 full time positions at 1.00 FTE each and 3 half time positions at .50 FTE each, the 5 positions equal a total of 5.00 FTEs, and the 3 positions equal a total of 1.50 FTEs, for a grand total of 6.50 positions.

The salary schedule must include the positions included in response to Prompts #12 and #13 unless it is clearly explained in the responses to the prompts that a position will not be filled until after the second year of operation.

* In the cell to the right of the number of FTE positions for 2014-2015, list the 2014-2015 salary to be budgeted for 1.00 FTE in that position.

* In the cell to the right of the salary for 2014-2015, state the number of FTEs to be employed by the charter school in that position in 2015-2016.

* In the cell to the right of the number of FTE positions for 2015-2016, list the 2015-2016 salary to be budgeted for 1.00 FTEin that position.

NOTES

The salary for 1 FTE will show in the template, and the template will automatically multiply the salary by the number of positions and include all of these calculations, by year, in the subtotal lines of each section of the salary schedule.

* Include the percentage of the salaries to be used to calculate fringe benefits.

NOTES

Input the rate as a decimal. For example, if the cost for fringe benefits will be 25%, input .25. When .25 is input, the template will automatically show 25% and calculate the totals for fringe benefits, by year, in each section of the salary schedule.

At a minimum, fringe benefits should include amounts required by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA), teacher retirement, health insurance, and unemployment obligations.

* The budget totals, by year, are automatically calculated in each section.

* Each section total, by year, is automatically added so that the TOTAL EXPENDITURES FOR SALARIES are calculated and included on Line #112.

The Budget

The budget template is intended to require the applicant to consider the many expenses likely to be incurred in the operation of a school and should be completed an estimate of the revenues and expenditures associated with the operation of the public charter school.

Two columns in the budget template must be completed, one for the school's first year of operation and one for the school's second year of operation.

REVENUES

All public schools in Arkansas receive state foundation funding in a set amount of money per student based upon average daily membership.

* The number of students for Line #1 and Line #2 is the number of students expected to be enrolled in the public charter school in 2014-2015.

NOTES

The number must match the 2014-2015 enrollment number provided in other sections of the application.

After the number of students is entered in Line #1 and Line #2, the template will automatically calculate the state foundation funding in Line #1 and the professional development funding in Line #2.

Be conservative with estimates for state revenue. A charter that overestimates its number of students will have to return funds after the "truing up" process occurs. A charter that underestimates the number of students will receive additional funds after the "truing up" process occurs.

* The number of students in Line #3 is the number of national school lunch students expected to be enrolled in the public charter school in 2014-2015.

NOTE

National school lunch students are those students who qualify for free or reduced-priced lunches.

* Input the rate in Line #3.

NOTES

The eligible rate for national school lunch (NSL) state categorical funding in Line #3 depends on the percentage of national school lunch students attending the school.

Use one of the following rates determined by the percentage of NSL students:

90% or greater NSL students	$1,549
70-89% NSL students	$1,033
Less than 70% NSL students	$ 517

After the number of NSL students and the rate are entered in Line #3, the template will automatically calculate the NSL funding.

* If the charter will serve another student population for which there is state categorical funding, contact the Arkansas Department of Education Charter School Office for the amount to include on Line #4.

* The number of students for Line #6 and Line #7 is the number of students expected to be enrolled in the public charter school in 2015-2016.

NOTES

The number must match the 2015-2016 enrollment number provided in other sections of the application.

After the number of students is entered in Line #6 and Line #7, the template will automatically calculate the state foundation funding in Line #6 and the professional development funding in Line #7.

* The number of students in Line #8 is the number of national school lunch students expected to be enrolled in the public charter school in 2015-2016.

* Input the rate in Line #8.

NOTES

The eligible rate for national school lunch (NSL) state categorical funding in Line #8 depends on the percentage of national school lunch students attending the school.

Use one of the following rates determined by the percentage of NSL students:

90% or greater NSL students	$1,549
70-89% NSL students	$1,033
Less than 70% NSL students	$ 517

After the number of NSL students and the rate are entered in Line #8, the template will automatically calculate the NSL funding.

* Other Sources of Revenue must not include one-time grants or other funds that are not guaranteed at the time that the application is submitted.

NOTES

If an applicant has a guaranteed revenue source, it can be included in the budget, but documentation of the revenue must be included as the last attachment behind the application form in the PDF file. The documentation must show that the funds have already been awarded for the operation of the proposed charter school.

Federal Charter School Program grants are not awarded prior to charter approval and cannot be considered for budgeting purposes.

* Totals from the two revenue sections, by year, are automatically added and populate Line #17.

EXPENDITURES

* Totals for the salaries and benefits, as calculated on the salary schedule, will populate the appropriate expenditure lines in the budget.

* List specific vendors by name and include the amount to be paid, by year, to each vendor.

* If the applicant anticipates no expenditures in any area, type a brief explanation where vendors and/or items would be listed. For example, if no expenditures are included for the gifted and talented program, the applicant could state in the cell for the first vendor, "Waiver requested for GT."

* Expenses are automatically added and totaled, by year, in each section.

* Each section total, by year, is automatically added so that the TOTAL EXPENDITURES are calculated and included on Line #241.

THE BOTTOM LINE

* By year, the expenditure totals are subtracted from the revenue totals and included as the NET REVENUE OVER EXPENDITURES on Line #242.

NOTES

Revenue must exceed expenditures.

It is important to maintain a positive balance so that funds are always available for unexpected expenses.

Upon the approval of a public charter school, staff in the Arkansas Department of Education Public School Finance and Administrative Support Unit will provide technical assistance to assist in developing a detailed budget, specific to the terms of the charter, that will also meet the data reporting requirements of the Arkansas Public School Computer Network.

Open-Enrollment Public Charter School Application Checklist

[] Email the one-page letter of intent to apply for an open-enrollment charter to the Arkansas Department of Education Charter School Office and the superintendent of the district where the charter would be located so that it is received by the Charter School Office no later than 4:00 p.m., on July 1.

Be certain that the superintendent's email address is visible as a recipient of the email, as this will serve as evidence that the application was sent to superintendent.

[] Publish the notice of public hearing following these requirements

B. The notice of public hearing shall not be published in the classified or legal notice section of the newspaper.

C. The last publication of notice shall be no less than seven (7) days prior to the public meeting.

D. Within seven (7) calendar days following the first publication of the notice of the public hearing, emails announcing the public hearing shall be sent to the superintendents of each of the school districts from which the open-enrollment public charter school is likely to draw students for the purpose of enrollment and the superintendents of any district that is contiguous to the district in which the open-enrollment public charter school will be located.

Documentation that these requirements have been met must be included in the charter school application.

[] Conduct the public hearing; include results of the public hearing in the charter school application.

[] Additional check points for the charter application

* All sections of the fillable form are complete.

* Each complete response is visible in the text box.

* Each response has been prepared considering the evaluation criteria of the corresponding section of the scoring rubric.

* Evidence that the sponsoring entity is eligible to apply for a charter is included.

* Documentation that all requirements pertaining to the public hearing were met is included.

* Evidence of parental and community support is included.

* A copy of the proposed school's 2014-2015 calendar is included.

* A copy of the proposed school's daily schedule is included.

* The Salary Schedule and Budget template is complete and included;

* The signed Facilities Utilization Agreement is included;

* The signed Statement of Assurances Form is included; and

* If an applicant believes that a weighted admissions lottery is required by federal court or administrative order, a copy of the order is included.

Submit the application, via email, to the Arkansas Department of Education, to the superintendent of the public school district where the proposed public charter school will be located and the superintendents of other districts from which the charter is likely to draw students so that it is received no later than 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 3, 2013. Be certain that the superintendents' email addresses are visible as recipients of the email, as this will serve as evidence that the application was sent to superintendents.

It is the applicant's responsibility to comply with all aspects of Arkansas Code Annotated § 6-23-101 et seq., the Arkansas Department of Education Rules Governing Charter Schools, and the requirements outlined in the application for an open-enrollment public charter school. Contact the Arkansas Department of Education Charter School Office with questions and for assistance with developing the application.

Arkansas Department of Education Charter School Office 501.683.5313

2013 Open-Enrollment Public Charter School Application

SCORING RUBRIC

The following scoring rubric will be used to evaluate applications submitted to the Arkansas Department of Education for the establishment of new open-enrollment public charter schools. This rubric is intended to provide clarity, tranparency, and consistency in the charter school application review process.

The Arkansas Department of Education will use the following rubric to evaluate the quality of an open-enrollment public charter school application against the criteria stated herein. For each of the application requirements, the criteria define the characteristics and elements of a response that meet the standard for charter approval. The following definitions will guide the rating of each requirement:

Meets the Standard:	The response reflects a thorough understanding of key issues and demonstrates capacity to open and operate a quality charter school. It addresses the topic with specific and accurate information that shows thorough preparation and presents a clear, realistic picture of the ways in which the school expects to operate.
Partially Meets the Standard:	The response addresses most of the criteria, but lacks meaningful detail and requires additional important information.
Does Not Meet the Standard:	The response lacks meaningful detail, demonstrates a lack of preparation, or otherwise raises substantial concerns about the applicant's understanding of the issue and/or the applicant's ability to implement the requirement.

2013 Open-Enrollment Public Charter School Application

SCORING RUBRIC

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Arkansas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.

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Arkansas Administrative CodeAgency 005 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONDivision 15 - Division of Learning ServicesRule 005.15.13-001 - Open-Enrollment Public Charter School and New Application

Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 005 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Division 15 - Division of Learning Services
Rule 005.15.13-001 - Open-Enrollment Public Charter School and New Application