[complete report]

LAW

Year Passed

1995; last amended in 2001.

Rank

7th weakest of the nation's 40 charter laws.

Grade

D

GENERAL DATA

• Schools have little freedom

• Fiscal equity is a subjective decision made by school board

• Authorization process is cumbersome

MULTIPLE AUTHORIZERS - NO

Approval

State Board of Education, with school board's approval.

Appeal

None

NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ALLOWED

Cap

Yes. 60 total schools are allowed in state.

OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY

State

No. Waiver requests considered on a case-by-case basis by the State Board of Education. Virtual schools are allowed. Education Service Providers (ESPs) subject to negotiation.

Local

No. Charters are considered part of the district and all operational and funding decisions are subject to negotiation.

Teacher Freedom

No. Teachers are covered by the district bargaining agreement unless an exemption is negotiated with sponsor. Charter schools must participate in state's retirement system.

EQUITY

Student Funding

• School board provides the charter with their annual budget, deducts any operational expenses and sets their own administrative costs.

• Funds pass through the district.

• Average per pupil revenue - $5,800

"A local school board shall provide an approved charter school with an annual program budget. The budget shall be not less than the amount generated by the students enrolled in the charter school less administrative costs retained by the local school district, determined by applying the indirect cost rate approved by the Department of Education and Early Development. The 'amount generated by students enrolled in the charter school' is to be determined in the same manner as it would be for a student enrolled in another public school in that school district." [AK Stat. § 14.03.260]

Facilities Funding

None