Subject to an appropriation, the Charter School Review Commission is created within the Department of Education to review and approve applications for charter schools overseen by district school boards.(1) The commission shall consist of seven members who have charter school experience, selected by the State Board of Education and subject to confirmation by the Senate. The commissioner shall designate one member as the chair. Each member shall be appointed to a 4-year term. However, for the purpose of achieving staggered terms, of the initial appointments, three members shall be appointed to 2-year terms and four members shall be appointed to 4-year terms. All subsequent appointments shall be for 4-year terms. A majority of the members of the commission constitutes a quorum.
(2) The commission has the same powers and duties as sponsors pursuant to s. 1002.33 in regard to reviewing and approving charter schools. (3) The Department of Education shall contract with a college or university to provide administrative and technical assistance to the commission by reviewing and providing an analysis of charter school applications submitted to the commission.
(4) The district school board of the school district in which the proposed charter school will be located shall be the sponsor of and supervisor for the new charter school and shall provide an initial proposed charter contract to the charter school pursuant to s. 1002.33(7)(b) within 30 calendar days after the commission’s decision granting an application. (5) Within 3 calendar days after an applicant submits an application for a charter school to the commission, the applicant must also provide a copy of the application to the school district in which the proposed charter school will be located. Within 30 calendar days after receiving a copy of the application, the school district may provide input to the commission on a form prescribed by the department. The commission must consider such input in reviewing the application.
(6) The decisions of the commission may be appealed in accordance with s. 1002.33(6)(c). (7) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules to implement this section.
