Charter schools: Charter Authorizers Regional Support Network Program.

Existing law, the Charter Schools Act of 1992, provides for the establishment and operation of charter schools and authorizes the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, and the State Board of Education to approve a petition for the establishment of a charter school and to act as a chartering authority. This bill would, contingent upon an appropriation made for these purposes, establish the Charter Authorizers Regional Support Network Program, to be administered by the Alameda County Office of Education, as an initiative to expand uniform charter school authorizing and oversight practices, as provided. The bill would require the Alameda County Office of Education to, among other things, award grant funds to 11 regional lead county offices of education to be used to improve the quality of school district and county office of education charter school authorizing activity. The bill would require a regional lead county office of education to use its grant funds for specified activities. The bill would require the Alameda County Superintendent of Schools to appoint an advisory board, to consist of specified members, to develop values and principles for charter school authorizing and oversight that will provide guidance for regional lead county offices of education, trainings, and conference materials, as provided. The bill would also require the Legislative Analyst's Office, on or before December 1, 2020, to complete and submit to the Governor and the appropriate education policy and budget committees of the Legislature an evaluation of the program. To the extent the provisions of this bill, upon implementation, would impose additional requirements on the Alameda County Office of Education, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Alameda County Office of Education. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.