[complete report]

LAW

Year Passed

2002; last amended in 2009.

Rank

13th weakest of the nation's 40 charter laws.

Grade

D

GENERAL DATA

• In 2009, Tennessee raised the number of charters allowed and the types of students that could attend but the impact on chartering has been limited

• Charters have few freedoms and fewer dollars

MULTIPLE AUTHORIZERS - NO

Approval

School boards

Appeal

Yes. Applications denied by the local board may be appealed to the State Board of Education. The state board's decision is binding.

NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ALLOWED

Cap

Yes. 90 charter schools are allowed in the state with 35 restricted to Shelby County (Memphis). Eligibility to open charters limited to school systems with at least 14,000 students who qualify for free or reduced price lunches. Only 7 districts are eligible. Preference for enrollment is given to students with failing grades or those from failing schools.

OPERATIONAL AUTONOMY

State

No. Waiver requests considered on a case-by-case basis. Virtual schools are not allowed. Management contracts with ESPs restricted to nonprofits.

Local

No. Waiver requests considered on a case-by-case basis.

Teacher Freedom

Yes. Teachers may remain covered by district contracts agreement, or negotiate as separate unit with charter school governing body. Charter schools may participate in state's retirement system.

EQUITY

Student Funding

• Funding based on expenditures, not revenues causing as much as a 30 percent gap in some districts.

• Lack of transparency in budgeting process.

• Funds pass through the district.

• Average per pupil revenue - $7,637

"The local board of education shall allocate one hundred percent (100%) of the state and local education funds to the charter school on the per pupil expenditure of the LEA. The per pupil expenditure shall be based on the prior year average daily membership (ADM) of the LEA. All funds shall be spent according to the budget submitted in the charter agreement, or as otherwise revised by the public charter school governing body, subject to the requirements of state and federal law. At the request of the governing body of the public charter school, the local board of education may act as fiscal agent for a public charter school or distribute the allocated funds to the public charter school to be administered in compliance with the charter agreement and state and federal laws." [Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-13-112]

Facilities Funding

None