The Washington State Board of Education’s meeting in Tumwater, Wash. will include a review and discussion of draft rules pertinent to the state’s first public charter schools. The meeting will take place on January 9-10 at 8 a.m. in office ESD 113.

The draft rules establish an annual application and approval process and timelines for local school boards seeking approval to be charter school authorizers. For example, the current draft rules will require school districts to submit an authorizer application to the State Board by June 15 and for the State Board of Education to make decisions on those applications by August 15.

The draft rules also set requirements for districts applying to authorize charter schools, as well as criteria for the evaluation and approval or denial of those applications.

The draft rules are available under “Charter School Rule-Making” at the SBE website. A public hearing on the draft rules is scheduled for February 26 at the offices of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The Board’s work with public charter schools began with the passage of Initiative 1240. Initiative 1240 calls for the State Board of Education to work with local school districts who wish to authorize a charter school. Local school boards seeking to be charter school authorizers must apply to and be approved by the State Board.

Upon acceptance, school districts must also submit annual reports to the Board evaluating charter schools’ performance under contract.

The State Board is also responsible for submitting annual reports to the Governor and Legislature, as well as an analysis of the public charter schools program five years after its induction.

More information on charter schools is available at the SBE wesbite. The meeting agenda is now posted on the website. Materials discussed during the meeting will be available by 5:00 p.m. the day before the meeting.