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LAW |
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Year Passed |
1997; last amended in 2007.
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|
Rank |
19th strongest of the nation's 40 charter laws. |
|
Grade |
C |
|
GENERAL DATA |
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|
• Accountability improvements adopted also brought new regulations that impose non-outcome related operational burdens on schools
• Funding formulas shortchange charter schools |
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MULTIPLE AUTHORIZERS - YES (3) |
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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 |
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NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ALLOWED |
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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. |
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OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY |
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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. |
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Local |
Yes. Charters only follow rules imposed by their sponsors. |
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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. |
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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.
• Average per pupil revenue - $6,500
"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)] |
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Facilities Funding |
None |
