West Virginia Code 18-5G-7 – Public Charter school governing board

(a) To ensure compliance with this article, a public charter school shall be administered by a governing board accountable to the authorizer as set forth in the charter contract. A public charter school governing board shall consist of no fewer than five members elected or selected in a manner specified in the charter application, including at least the following:

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 18-5G-7

Applicant: means any one or more in combination of parents, community members, teachers, school administrators, or institutions of higher education in this state who are interested in organizing a public charter school and:
(A) Have obtained 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or have submitted an application for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, or be a state institution of higher education as defined in §. See West Virginia Code 18-5G-2
Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
Authorizer: means the entity empowered under this article to review applications, decide whether to approve or reject applications, enter into charter contracts with applicants, oversee public charter schools, and decide whether to renew or not renew charter contracts. See West Virginia Code 18-5G-2
board: means a county board of education. See West Virginia Code 18-1-1
Charter application: means a proposal from an applicant to an authorizer to enter into a charter contract whereby the proposed school obtains public charter school status. See West Virginia Code 18-5G-2
contract: means a fixed-term, renewable contract between a public charter school's governing board and an authorizer that identifies the roles, powers, responsibilities, operational duties, accountability, and performance expectations for each party to the contract, consistent with the requirements of this article. See West Virginia Code 18-5G-2
Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
Education service provider: means a public or private nonprofit or for-profit education management organization, school design provider, or any other partner entity with which a public charter school contracts for educational design, implementation, or comprehensive management. See West Virginia Code 18-5G-2
Governing board: means a public charter school governing board that meets the requirements §. See West Virginia Code 18-5G-2
Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
Public charter school: means a public school or program within a public school that is authorized in accordance with the provisions of this article and meets the general criteria, governance structure and statutory compliance requirements described in §. See West Virginia Code 18-5G-2
School: means the students and teachers assembled in one or more buildings, organized as a unit. See West Virginia Code 18-1-1
State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
Student: means any person that is eligible for attendance in a public school in West Virginia. See West Virginia Code 18-5G-2
Student with a disability: means an exceptional child, other than gifted, pursuant to section one, article twenty of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 18-1-1

(1) Two parents of students attending the public charter school operating under the governing board; and

(2) Two members who reside in the community served by the public charter school.

(b) Members of the governing board shall:

(A) Not be an employee of the public charter school administered by the governing board;

(B) Not be an employee of an education service provider that provides services to the public charter school, unless the services are provided by a state institution of higher education;

(C) File a full disclosure report to the authorizer identifying potential conflicts of interest, relationships with management organizations, and relationships with family members who are employed by the public charter school or have other business dealings with the school, the management organization of the school, or any other public charter school;

(D) Collectively possess expertise in leadership, curriculum and instruction, law, and finance; and

(E) Be considered an officer of a school district under the provisions of § 6-6-7 of this code and removal from office shall be in accordance with the provisions of that section.

(1) Operate under the oversight of its authorizer in accordance with its charter contract;

(2) As a public corporate body, have the powers necessary for carrying out the terms of its charter contract, including, but not limited to the power to:

(A) Receive and disburse funds for school purposes;

(B) Secure appropriate insurance and enter into contracts and leases;

(C) Contract with an education service provider, so long as the governing board retains final oversight and authority over the school;

(D) Pledge, assign, or encumber its assets to be used as collateral for loans or extensions of credit;

(E) Solicit and accept any gifts or grants for school purposes, subject to applicable laws and the terms of its charter; and

(F) Acquire real property for use as its facilities or facilities from public or private sources;

(3) Enroll students in the public charter school pursuant to § 18-5G-11 of this code;

(4) Require any education service provider contracted with the governing board to provide a monthly detailed budget to the board; and

(5) Provide programs and services to a student with a disability in accordance with the student‘s individualized education program and all federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. A public charter school shall deliver the services directly or contract with another provider to deliver the services.

(d) A public charter school authorized under this article may:

(1) Negotiate and contract with its authorizer or any third party for the use, operation, and maintenance of a building and grounds, liability insurance, and the provision of any service, activity, or undertaking that the public charter school is required to perform in order to carry out the educational program described in its charter contract. Any services for which a public charter school contracts with a school district shall be provided by the district at cost and shall be negotiated as a separate agreement after final charter contract negotiations;

(2) Sue and be sued in its own name;

(3) Own, rent, or lease its space;

(4) Participate in cocurricular activities to the same extent as noncharter public schools; and

(5) Participate in extracurricular activities to the same extent as noncharter public schools.

(e) The public charter school governing board is responsible for the operation of its public charter school, including, but not limited to, ensuring compliance with the public charter school criteria, governance and statutory compliance set forth § 18-5G-3 of this code, the preparation of an annual budget, contracting for services, school curriculum, personnel matters, and achieving the objectives and goals of the public charter school’s program.

(f) The public charter school governing board shall comply with the provisions of § 29B-1-1 et seq. of this code relating to freedom of information and the provisions of § 6-9A-1 et seq. of this code relating to open governmental proceedings.

(g) Notwithstanding anything else in this Code, when a state institution of higher education is an applicant and after its application is approved by an authorizer, the governing board of the public charter school may be an administrative unit of the state institution of higher education, and the governing board may enter into the charter contract on behalf of the state institution of higher education.

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