Sec. 2. (a) A school in Indiana shall be accredited under the system established by this chapter if the school meets legal standards as determined by the state board.

     (b) The state board shall establish a performance based accreditation system for accrediting schools in Indiana under this chapter.

     (c) The department shall waive accreditation standards for an accredited nonpublic alternative school that enters into a contract with a school corporation to provide alternative education services for students who have:

(1) dropped out of high school;

(2) been expelled; or

(3) been sent to the nonpublic alternative school due to the students’ lack of success in the public school environment;

to accommodate the nonpublic alternative school’s program and student population. A nonpublic alternative school to which this subsection applies is not subject to being placed in a category or designation under IC 20-31-8-4. However, the nonpublic alternative school must comply with all state reporting requirements and submit a school improvement growth model on the anniversary date of the nonpublic alternative school’s original accreditation.

     (d) The state board may accredit a nonpublic school under this chapter at the time the nonpublic school begins operation in Indiana.

     (e) A school accredited under IC 20-26-15 shall be accredited under this chapter by the earlier of the following:

(1) The date the school’s contract under IC 20-26-15 expires.

(2) July 1, 2025.

As added by P.L.92-2020, SEC.69.