256F.4 - GENERAL OPERATING REQUIREMENTS.

        256F.4  GENERAL OPERATING REQUIREMENTS.
         1.  Within fifteen days after approval of a charter school
      application submitted in accordance with section 256F.3, subsection
      2, a school board shall report to the department the name of the
      charter school applicant, the proposed charter school location, and
      its projected enrollment.
         2.  Although a charter school may elect to comply with one or more
      provisions of statute or administrative rule, a charter school is
      exempt from all statutes and rules applicable to a school, a school
      board, or a school district, except that the charter school shall do
      all of the following:
         a.  Meet all applicable federal, state, and local health and
      safety requirements and laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis
      of race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, ancestry, or
      disability.  A charter school shall be subject to any court-ordered
      desegregation plan in effect for the school district at the time the
      school's charter application is approved.
         b.  Operate as a nonsectarian, nonreligious public school.
         c.  Be free of tuition and application fees to Iowa resident
      students between the ages of five and twenty-one years.
         d.  Be subject to and comply with chapters 216 and 216A
      relating to civil and human rights.
         e.  Provide special education services in accordance with
      chapter 256B.
         f.  Be subject to the same financial audits, audit procedures,
      and audit requirements as a school district.  The audit shall be
      consistent with the requirements of sections 11.6, 11.14, 11.19,
      256.9, subsection 19, and section 279.29, except to the extent
      deviations are necessary because of the program at the school.  The
      department, the auditor of state, or the legislative services agency
      may conduct financial, program, or compliance audits.
         g.  Be subject to and comply with chapter 284 relating to the
      student achievement and teacher quality program.  A charter school
      that complies with chapter 284 shall receive state moneys or be
      eligible to receive state moneys as provided in chapter 284 as if it
      did not operate under a charter.
         h.  Be subject to and comply with chapters 20 and 279 relating
      to contracts with and discharge of teachers and administrators.
         i.  Be subject to and comply with the provisions of chapter
      285 relating to the transportation of students.
         j.  Meetings of the advisory council are subject to the
      provisions of chapters 21 and 22.
         3.  A charter school shall not discriminate in its student
      admissions policies or practices on the basis of intellectual or
      athletic ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, or status as a
      person with a disability.  However, a charter school may limit
      admission to students who are within a particular range of ages or
      grade levels or on any other basis that would be legal if initiated
      by a school district.  Enrollment priority shall be given to the
      siblings of students enrolled in a charter school.
         4.  A charter school shall enroll an eligible resident student who
      submits a timely application unless the number of applications
      exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or building.
      In this case, students must be accepted by lot.  A charter school may
      enroll an eligible nonresident student who submits a timely
      application in accordance with the student admission policy
      established pursuant to section 256F.5, subsection 1.  If the charter
      school enrolls an eligible nonresident student, the charter school
      shall notify the school district and the sending district not later
      than March 1 of the preceding school year.  Transportation for the
      student shall be in accordance with section 282.18, subsection 10.
      The sending district shall make payments to the charter school in the
      manner required under section 282.18, subsection 7.
         5.  A charter school shall provide instruction for at least the
      number of days required by section 279.10, subsection 1, or shall
      provide at least the equivalent number of total hours.
         6.  Notwithstanding subsection 2, a charter school shall meet the
      requirements of section 256.7, subsection 21.
         7.  A charter school shall be considered a part of the school
      district in which it is located for purposes of state school
      foundation aid pursuant to chapter 257.
         8.  A charter school may enter into contracts in accordance with
      chapter 26.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         2002 Acts, ch 1124, §4, 16; 2002 Acts, ch 1175, §81; 2003 Acts, ch
      35, §46, 49; 2003 Acts, ch 79, §2, 7, 8; 2006 Acts, ch 1185, §127
         Referred to in § 256F.3, 256F.5, 256F.10, 282.9