REFERENCE TITLE: charter schools; 25th anniversary recognition

State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fourth Legislature First Regular Session 2019

HCR 2025

Introduced by Representative Campbell

 

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 

recognizing the 25th anniversary of Arizona's charter school law.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Whereas, charter schools, established by law in Arizona in 1994, provide choice; and

Whereas, according to the Arizona Republic website, azcentral.com, 185,889 students or 17% of Arizona public school students attended a charter school in 2017; and 

Whereas, the Arizona Charter Schools Association (ACSA) has found that the diversity of the charter school student population is continually growing.  In 2017, 55% of charter school students were of an ethnic background and 45% of students were white; and

Whereas, charter schools deliver quality education that is accessible to students of all academic abilities and interests, and provide programs focused on STEM, expeditionary learning, the arts, the Montessori method, autism and at-risk students; and

Whereas, approximately 20% of charter schools are alternative schools that serve dropout, homeless and overaged students.  Arizona law does not allow charter schools to choose specific students; rather, charter schools are required to enroll all students through a lottery or other equitable system; and

Whereas, according to the ACSA, charter schools saved the state $2.7 billion dollars in per pupil expenditures in comparison to district schools from 1996 to 2017; and

Whereas, charter schools raised the achievement of students in Arizona in 2015, according to the ACSA.  Charter school students outperformed the state average passing rate for English/Language Arts and math tests by 5 to 12 percentage points in every grade level.  For both types of exams, 49 of the top 50 local education agencies were charter schools; and

Whereas, in 2015, students who were homeless or economically disadvantaged and attended charter schools had limited English proficiency, and charter school students with disabilities scored higher than their district-school peers on the English and math exams; and

Whereas, approximately 27%, or 148, of Arizona's charter schools were "A" rated schools in 2018, according to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) grading system; and

Whereas, charter schools are strictly regulated and highly accountable to more regulatory agencies than district schools because they operate as public schools and businesses.  Charter schools are under a specific charter contract in which they can be and, in some cases have been, closed by the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools (Board) for not performing academically or financially; and

Whereas, ADE regulations include special education requirements, budget and annual financial report proposals, adoption and publication requirements, attendance reporting, grants management, course offering, fingerprint clearance card and resume publication, calendar approval, emergency response plans, graduation requirements, A-F grading and student testing and accountability; and

Whereas, Board regulations include an annual financial audit and statement, an annual compliance audit, including nondiscrimination, policies and procedures, financial and performance dashboard regulations, five-year on-site audits, approval of any expansion or change request in operation or governance and their specific charter contracts; and

Whereas, the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records regulates charter schools' records-retention policies and procedures; and

Whereas, charter schools have the same facilities requirements as district schools, including compliance and inspection requirements such as fire, health department, pest management, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, asbestos management and material safety data sheet regulations, yet charter schools do not have access to state facilities funding; and

Whereas, business regulation and accountability exceed district school requirements, which include annual filings with the Arizona Corporation Commission, United States Department of Labor, Attorney General and United States Department of Revenue for an annual tax return as a for-profit or nonprofit organization; and

Whereas, on January 11, 2016, the late Senator John McCain said "results from Arizona demonstrate the benefits of innovation in the classroom.  In fact, if Arizona's 170,000 public charter students were measured as an individual state, that state would have ranked second nationally... Something powerful is happening in Arizona's charter schools."

Therefore

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:

That the Members of the Legislature recognize the 25th anniversary of the Arizona charter school law and commend charter schools for their tremendous efforts in providing quality education to Arizona's children.