Charter schools: location.

Existing law authorizes a charter school that is unable to locate within the jurisdiction or geographic boundaries of the chartering school district to establish one site outside the boundaries of the school district, but within the county in which that school district is located, if the school district where the charter school proposes to operate is notified in advance of the charter petition approval, the county superintendent of schools is notified of the location of the charter school before it commences operations and either the charter school has attempted to locate a single site or facility to house the entire program, but such a site or facility is unavailable in the area in which the school chooses to locate or the site is needed for temporary use during a construction or expansion project. This bill would delete the authority of a charter school to locate outside the jurisdiction or geographic boundaries of the chartering school district because the charter school has attempted to locate a single site or facility to house the entire program, but a site or facility is unavailable in the area in which the charter school chooses to locate. The bill would authorize a charter school to establish one facility outside the boundaries of the school district, as described above, if either (1) the school district within the jurisdiction of which the charter school proposes to operate provides written approval to the chartering school district before the charter petition is approved for that facility and before each charter petition renewal, or (2) the facility is needed for temporary use during the period of construction for a construction or expansion project, for up to 18 months, unless the school district in which the charter school intends to operate approves of a longer period of time. The bill would require a charter school locating outside the boundaries of the chartering school district for temporary use to provide the parents of pupils enrolled at the charter school with specified information at least 60 days before the beginning of the school year. The bill would also authorize a charter school to operate a facility outside the boundaries of the chartering school district if (1) the charter school was authorized before April 1, 2013, to locate at that facility and the charter school operated that facility with pupils enrolled and attending before September 15, 2014, (2) the school district within the jurisdiction of which the charter school operates provides written approval to the chartering school district, (3) the charter school is an American Indian charter school, as defined, or (4) the charter school meets the eligibility criteria for the Alternative Schools Accountability Model adopted by the State Board of Education. The bill would prohibit a school district that is assigned a negative certification, as specified, from authorizing new charter schools to locate outside the boundaries of the school district. The bill would also make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.