Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 13.

This bill makes the following changes and additions to present law concerning charter schools: (1) In reviewing and evaluating a charter application, present law requires an authorizer to, if applicable, take into account the performance, including both student growth and achievement, of any charter school operated by the sponsor. This bill instead requires the authorizer to, if applicable, consider the performance, including student growth and achievement, of any charter school operated by the sponsor, governing body, or charter management organization; (2) This bill adds a requirement that, if an LEA's local board of education changes the grade bands for the LEA's elementary schools, middle schools, elementary and secondary schools, or elementary or secondary schools, then the local board of education must notify each public charter school authorized by the LEA at least 120 days before the grade band changes are implemented to allow the public charter school to seek an amendment to the school's charter agreement; (3) This bill replaces authorization for a public charter school to enroll students residing outside the geographic boundaries of the LEA in which the public charter school is located pursuant to the out-of-district enrollment policy of the LEA in which the public charter school is located. Under this bill, a public charter school may enroll students residing outside the geographic boundaries of the LEA in which the public charter school is located if capacity is available after all eligible in-district students have been enrolled. This bill limits a public charter school's total enrollment of out-of-district students at 25 percent of the public charter school's total enrollment. State school funds must follow a student into the LEA in which the public charter school is located and to which the student transfers. Tuition may be charged by the LEA in which the public charter school is located and to which a student transfers, as provided under present law for out-of-district enrollment; (4) This bill authorizes a public charter school to give enrollment preference to students who are economically disadvantaged, homeless, foster, runaway, migrant, or eligible for free or reduced-price school meals or milk. This bill authorizes a public charter school to request information to verify that a student is economically disadvantaged on the application for purposes of an enrollment lottery, but is prohibited from requiring it; (5) This bill places students who meet the criteria outlined in (4) second in the list of priority for an enrollment lottery, if the enrollment preference is used by the public charter school; (6) This bill adds a requirement that each authorizer, by August 1, 2023, adopt a progressive intervention policy that outlines the process for charter school intervention if the authorizer determines that a public charter school meets the criteria for revocation, or if the authorizer determines that a public charter school is not complying with the Tennessee Public Charter Schools Act of 2002, or with the charter agreement. Except in emergency situations, the progressive intervention policy must be followed prior to revocation of a charter. The full text of this bill describes various components that must be included in the policy; and (7) Present law requires an LEA, upon request from an authorizer or a public charter school approved to operate one or more schools within the geographic boundaries of the LEA, to provide at no cost a list of student names, ages, addresses, dates of attendance, and grade levels completed. This bill adds that the list must also include student electronic mail addresses, telephone listings, and most recent school attended. ON FEBRUARY 27, 2023, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 980, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 expands the present law provision that allows a public charter school to give an enrollment preference to children of a teacher or a member of the governing body of the charter school, not to exceed 10 percent of total enrollment or 25 students, whichever is less, to also include children of any employee of the public charter school. ON MARCH 20, 2023, THE HOUSE SUBSTITUTED SENATE BILL 980 FOR HOUSE BILL 1086, ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND 2, AND PASSED SENATE BILL 980, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 incorporates the changes made by Senate Amendment #1 and makes the following changes to this bill: (1) Conditions the provision that allows a public charter school to enroll students residing outside the geographic boundaries of the LEA in which said school is located if capacity is available to a public charter school with an authorizer that has a policy allowing out-of-district enrollment; and (2) Provides, however, that if a public charter school’s authorizer has a policy that prohibits out-of-district enrollment, then the public charter may request to adopt an out-of-district enrollment policy through the waiver process. However, the waiver request may only be submitted to the public charter school’s authorizer for approval. AMENDMENT #2 revises the provisions concerning preferences for admission to public charter schools, so that preferences will only be authorized for: (1) Students who are economically disadvantaged, which means, as defined in Tennessee's Every Student Succeeds Act plan, a homeless, foster, runaway, or migrant student or a student eligible for free or reduced-price school meals or milk through the direct certification eligibility guidelines established pursuant to federal law; and (2) Children of the public charter school's employees or the children of a member of the public charter school's governing body, not to exceed 10 percent of the public charter school's total enrollment or 25 students, whichever is less. This amendment specifies that an enrollment lottery preference may apply to all children described in (1).