|
LAW |
|
Year Passed |
1997; last amended in 2010.
|
|
Rank |
18th strongest of the nation's 41 charter laws. |
|
Grade |
C |
|
GENERAL DATA |
|
|
• Accountability improvements brought new regulations that impose operational burdens on schools
• Replication of successful charters has allowed strong growth even with other caps in place
• Funding formulas shortchange charter schools |
|
INDEPENDENT OR MULTIPLE AUTHORIZERS - YES (3) |
|
Approval |
School boards including educational service centers, state universities and
nonprofit entities as approved by the Ohio Department of Education, in the
“big eight” school districts (Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland,
Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Youngstown), “academic emergency” and
“academic watch” school districts. |
|
Appeal |
None |
|
NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ALLOWED |
|
Cap |
Yes. Only charters meeting state performance targets or those managed by
ESPs that are performing strong academically may open charter schools.
Moratorium on virtuals and no cap on conversions. |
|
OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY |
|
State |
Limited. Charter schools do receive a blanket waiver but regulations impose
restrictions and additional rules, some of which may be unnecessary. Virtual
schools are allowed, although no new ones may open.Management
contracts with ESPs are not restricted. |
|
Local |
Yes. Charters only follow rules imposed by their sponsors. |
|
Teacher Freedom |
Yes for new starts. Teachers may work independently or form a separate
bargaining unit. No for conversions. Teachers remain part of district
collective bargaining agreement, unless a majority of them petition to
organize as a separate unit, or work independently. Charter schools must
participate in state’s retirement system. |
|
EQUITY |
|
Student Funding |
• Funding formula intended but often fails to distribute money to charters
equitably.
• Funding varies by type of school.
• Funds pass through state.
"An amount equal to the sum of the amounts obtained when, for each community school where the district's students are enrolled, the number of the district's students reported under divisions (B)(2)(a), (b), and (e) of this section who are enrolled in grades one through twelve, and one-half the number of students reported under those divisions who are enrolled in kindergarten, in that community school is multiplied by the sum of the base formula amount of that community school plus the per pupil amount of the base funding supplements specified in divisions (C)(1) to (4) of section 3317.012 of the Revised Code." [OH 3314.08(C)(1)] |
|
Facilities Funding |
None |
