|
LAW |
|
Year Passed |
1996; last amended in 2010.
|
|
Rank |
9th weakest of the nation's 41 charter laws. |
|
Grade |
D |
|
GENERAL DATA |
|
|
• State board exerts strong control over charter operations
• Cap on schools eliminated in 2010, but it’s not likely more schools will open
• Funding based on unpredictable annual state appropriation |
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INDEPENDENT OR MULTIPLE AUTHORIZERS - NO |
|
Approval |
State Board of Education for all charters (state and local). School boards approve local charters (of which there are none). |
|
Appeal |
None. |
|
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ALLOWED |
|
Cap |
No school cap. Charters may enroll no more than 250 students, 300 in K-8, or 25 percent of a district's total enrollment, whichever is less. Highachieving charters can request a waiver from the enrollment cap. |
|
OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY |
|
State |
No. Waiver requests considered on a case-by-case basis from state board. State maintains control over charter funding. Virtual schools are not allowed. Management contracts with ESPs are not restricted. |
|
Local |
No. |
|
Teacher Freedom |
Yes for state charters. Teachers may choose to negotiate as a separate unit with the governing body, or work independently. No for local charters. Teachers remain covered by district collective bargaining agreement, but
may apply for waivers from specific provisions. All new charter teachers
hired after July 1, 2010 must participate in state’s retirement system. |
|
EQUITY |
|
Student Funding |
• State legislature sets annual appropriation rather than allow the same funding to follow students.
• Schools do not receive other types of monies.
• For state authorized charters, funds pass through state and for district authorized schools, funds pass through district.
"The state shall pay in accordance with this subsection, to the fiscal authority for a state charter school for each student enrolled in such school…for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, nine thousand three hundred dollars. Such payments shall be made as follows: Twenty-five per cent of the amount not later than July fifteenth and September fifteenth based on estimated student enrollment on May first, and twenty-five per cent of the amount not later than January fifteenth and the remaining amount not later than April fifteenth, each based on student enrollment on October
first." [Conn. Gen Stat. 10-66ee(c)] |
|
Facilities Funding |
None. |
