Councilmember Charlene Drew Jarvis
A BILL IN
THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
To amend the District of Columbia School Reform Amendment Act of 1995 to require that
the Superintendent be notified by the eligible chartering authority when an existing
public school files a petition to convert to a public charter school, and that the
Superintendent shall prepare a school impact statement, within 30 days of notification,
which shall be provided to the Mayor, the District of Columbia Council, the eligible
chartering authority, the D.C. Board of education, and parents of current students and
faculty at the proposed public charter school, in addition to the parents of current
students in certain grade levels at feeder schools within the attendance boundaries of the
proposed public charter school; and to specify that a public charter school
"shall", rather than "may" give priority enrollment to specific groups
set forth in existing law during the 5-year period beginning on the date the petition is
approved.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as
the "District of Columbia School Reform Amendment Act of 1999".
Sec. 2. The District of Columbia School Reform Amendment Act of 1995, effective April
26, 1996, approved as title II of the District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 1997 (110
Stat. 1321 [226], Pub. L. 104-134, §2003; D.C. Code §31-2851 et seq.), is amended
as follows:
(a) A new section 2201a is added to read as follows:
"Sec. 2201 a. Notification of Superintendent of proposed public charter school
conversion."(a) Upon receipt of a petition to convert into a public charter school from an
existing District of Columbia public school, the eligible chartering authority immediately
shall notify the Superintendent of the intended conversion by providing a copy of the
petition.
(b) A new section 2201b is added to read as follows:
"Sec. 2201b. Contents of school impact statement.
"(b) The Superintendent shall provide a school impact statement within 30 days of
notification by the eligible chartering authority to the following:"(1) the Mayor;
"(2) the District of Columbia Council;
"(3) the eligible chartering authority;
"(4) the Board of Education;
"(5) the parents of current students and faculty at the proposed charter school
conversion; and"(6) the parents of current students at all feeder schools (if any).
"(c) The impact statement shall include the following information:
"(1) Current capacity of the school to be converted;
"(2) Current enrollment of the school to be converted as of the date of request
for school impact statement."(3) Maximum number of students approved for the proposed public charter school.
"(4) Names, grade levels, capacities and current enrollments of alternative public
school facilities within the attendance boundaries of the proposed public charter school."(5) Names, grade levels, capacities and current enrollments of all
"feeder"public school facilities (if any) within the attendance boundaries of
the proposed public charter school."(6) List of current public school class offerings or programs at that site that
will not be included in the curriculum of the new public charter school.
Sec. 3. Sec. (D.C. Code §31-2853.16(d)) is amended by substituting "the school
shall give priority in enrollment" for "the school may give priority in
enrollment" in the introductory paragraph of (d).
Sec. 4. Fiscal impact statement.
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal
impact statement required by section 602(c)(3) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act,
approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Code §233(c)(3)).
Sec. 5. Effective date.
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by
the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and approval by the Financial
Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority as provided in section 203(a) of the
District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995,
approved April 17, 1995 (109 Stat. 116; D.C. Code §47-392.3(a)), a 30-day period of
Congressional review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home
Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Code §1-223(c)(1)), and
publication in the District of Columbia Register.