Charter schools: operating as or by a nonprofit public benefit corporation.

(1) Existing law, the Charter Schools Act of 1992, authorizes a charter school to elect to operate as, or be operated by, a nonprofit public benefit corporation, as specified. The act also requires that the governing board of a school district that grants a charter for the establishment of a charter school formed and organized as a nonprofit public benefit corporation be entitled to a single representative on the board of directors of the nonprofit public benefit corporation. This bill instead would require that an authority that grants a charter for the establishment of a charter school formed and organized as a nonprofit public benefit corporation be entitled to a single representative on the board of directors of the nonprofit public benefit corporation. The bill also would require that the initial chartering authority appoint a majority of the members of the board of directors of the nonprofit public benefit corporation, as provided, for a charter school that elects to operate as, or be operated by, a nonprofit public benefit corporation and submits a charter petition, charter renewal, or material revision application on or after January 1, 2015. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The Charter Schools Act of 1992 prohibits the governing board of a school district from denying a petition for the establishment of a charter school unless the governing board of the school district finds that the petition does not contain specified information, including, among other information, a reasonably comprehensive description of the governance structure of the school. This bill would require the petition for the establishment of a charter school that will operate as, or be operated by, a nonprofit public benefit corporation also to include the names and background information for all persons whom the petitioner nominates to serve on the board of directors of the nonprofit public benefit corporation. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.