[complete report]

LAW

Year Passed

1996; last amended in 1998.

Rank

12th weakest of the nation's 40 charter laws.

Grade

D

GENERAL DATA

• Charters have had to sue to gain access to equitable funds

• University of North Carolina (UNC) is permitted to authorize, but has never exercised its authority to do so

MULTIPLE AUTHORIZERS - YES (2)

Approval

State Board of Education, with school board's approval. UNC has the power to authorize, but has never created a mechanism to do so.

Appeal

Yes. Applications denied by the school board may be appealed to the State Board of Education.

NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ALLOWED

Cap

Yes. 100 total schools allowed in state. Five charters may be approved each year per school district.

OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY

State

Limited. Blanket waiver provided from most, not all rules and regulations. Virtual schools are not allowed. Management contracts with ESPs are not restricted.

Local

Limited. School boards impose various requirements.

Teacher Freedom

Yes. Teachers are not subject to district work rules. Teachers have the option to participate in the state system; charter boards decide whether to participate or not.

EQUITY

Student Funding

• Funding allocation is supposed to be equal but often is not.

• Local funds often withheld; charters have won lawsuits over this issue.

• Charters are suing over not receiving lottery funds.

• Funds pass through state and district.

• Average per pupil revenue - $8,701

"The State Board of Education shall allocate to each charter school: (1) An amount equal to the average per pupil allocation for average daily membership from the local school administrative unit allotments in which the charter school is located for each child attending the charter school except for the allocation for children with disabilities and for the allocation for children with limited English proficiency; (2) An additional amount for each child attending the charter school who is a child with disabilities; and (3) An additional amount for children with limited English proficiency attending the charter school, based on a formula adopted by the State Board." [N.C. Gen. Stat. § 115C-238.29H(a)]

Facilities Funding

None