|
LAW |
|
Year Passed |
1996; last amended in 2009.
|
|
Rank |
17th strongest of the nation's 40 charter laws. |
|
Grade |
C |
|
GENERAL DATA |
|
|
• Operational freedom limited
• Single state authorizer limits expansion
• State funding law creates inequities state law |
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MULTIPLE AUTHORIZERS - NO |
|
Approval |
State Commissioner of Education |
|
Appeal |
Yes. Applications denied may be appealed to the State Board of Education within 30 days of the date of the receipt of the denial. |
|
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ALLOWED |
|
Cap |
No cap |
|
OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY |
|
State |
No. Waiver requests considered on a case-by-case basis. Virtual schools are not permitted. Management contracts with ESPs are not restricted. |
|
Local |
Limited. Waiver requests considered on a case-by-case basis. While charters do not have to account to the district, decisions regarding special education students are made by the LEA, not the charter school. |
|
Teacher Freedom |
Yes for new starts. Teachers may negotiate as a separate unit with the governing body, or work independently. No for conversions. Teachers remain covered by district collective bargaining agreement. Charter schools must participate in state's retirement system. |
|
EQUITY |
|
Student Funding |
• Law requires schools to be funded at 90 percent of per pupil district aid. However, it is often less than 80 percent because charter students don't receive adjustment aid given to districts under the School Funding Reform Act.
• Funds pass through the district.
"The school district of residence shall pay directly to the charter school for each student enrolled in the charter school who resides in the district an amount equal to 90% of the sum of the budget year equalization aid per pupil and the prebudget year general fund tax levy per pupil inflated by the CPI rate most recent to the calculation. In addition, the school district of residence shall pay directly to the charter school the security categorical aid attributable to the student and a percentage of the district's special education categorical aid equal to the percentage of the district's special education students enrolled in the charter school and, if applicable, 100% of preschool education aid. The district of residence shall also pay directly to the charter school any federal funds attributable to the student." [N.J. Stat. § 18A:36A-12(b)] |
|
Facilities Funding |
None |
