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A.(1)  Unless revoked as provided for in Subsection C of this Section, an approved school charter shall be valid for an initial period of four years and may be extended for a maximum initial term of five years, contingent upon the results of a review conducted after the completion of the third year as provided in La. Rev. Stat. 17:3998. The charter may be renewed for additional periods of not less than three nor more than ten years after thorough review by the approving chartering authority of the charter school‘s operations and compliance with charter requirements.  The chartering authority shall notify the chartering group in writing of any decisions made relative to the renewal or nonrenewal of a school’s charter not later than January thirty-first of the year in which the charter would expire.  A notification that a charter will not be renewed shall include written explanation of the reasons for such non-renewal.  Pursuant to Subsection C of this Section and using such annual review process, a charter may be revoked for failure to meet agreed-upon academic results as specified in the charter.

(2)(a)  No charter shall be renewed unless the charter renewal applicant can demonstrate, using standardized test scores, improvement in the academic performance of pupils over the term of the charter school’s existence.

(b)  Each charter school shall be provided by its chartering authority with the criteria and procedures that will be used when considering whether to renew a school’s charter.

(c)  A charter school which has met or exceeded for the three preceding school years the benchmarks established for it in accordance with the school and district accountability system, has demonstrated growth in student academic achievement for the three proceeding schools years, and has had no significant audit findings during the term of the charter agreement shall be deemed a high-performing school, and such school’s charter shall be automatically renewed.

(3)  A Type 2 charter school that has been renewed as provided in this Subsection shall be funded by the state as provided in La. Rev. Stat. 17:3995(A)(6).

B.  Subsequent to approval, a school charter may be amended by the approving chartering authority by an affirmative vote of at least a majority of the membership of the chartering authority when such amendment is proposed by the charter school’s governing authority and the amendment will better permit the charter school to achieve its stated objectives.  No amendment shall be the basis of extending the duration of the original charter.

C.  A school charter may be revoked by the authority that approved its charter upon a determination by an affirmative vote of at least a majority of the local board membership or upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, whichever approved the charter, that the charter school or its officers or employees did any of the following:

(1)  Committed a material violation of any of the conditions, standards, or procedures provided for in the approved charter.

(2)  Failed to meet or pursue within the agreed timelines any of the academic and other educational results specified in the approved charter.

(3)  Failed to meet generally accepted accounting standards of fiscal management.

(4)  Violated any provision of law applicable to a charter school, its officers, or employees.

D.  For each charter school which has received a letter grade designation of “A” or “B” or any variation thereof and has met the criteria of Subparagraph (A)(2)(c) of this Section pursuant to automatic renewal, a charter operator shall be eligible to open and operate two additional schools that serve the same grade levels and the same enrollment boundaries as defined in the charter agreement of the school meeting the criteria of Subparagraph (A)(2)(c) of this Section without formal application to the chartering authority with which the charter agreement for the school that meets the criteria of Subparagraph (A)(2)(c) of this Section is held.  The chartering group shall notify its chartering authority of its intent to open one or two additional charter schools pursuant to this Subsection at least one hundred twenty calendar days prior to the day on which each additional school shall enroll students.  At least ninety calendar days prior to the day on which each additional school shall enroll students, the chartering authority shall enter into a charter agreement with the chartering group for each additional school and shall notify the state board of its action.

Acts 1997, No. 477, §1, eff. June 30, 1997; Acts 1999, No. 757, §1, eff. July 2, 1999; Acts 2004, No. 735, §1; Acts 2008, No. 202, §1, eff. June 13, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 334, §1; Acts 2010, No. 722, §1; Acts 2012, No. 2, §1.