District of Columbia School Reform Amendment Act of 1999
Bill 13-582

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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.