Maryland Public Charter School Program - School Facilities - Funding
What changed between versions
Funding eligibility was broadened to explicitly include capital improvements, debt service, and rent or lease payments, whereas the original draft only covered maintenance and operation.
A new requirement was added stating that a public charter school is only eligible for funds if its operator's most recent certified financial audit is unqualified.
Schools receiving funds for capital improvements, debt service, or rent must now report the status of these projects to the Interagency Commission on School Construction before receiving funds for the next fiscal year.
New regulations were added to ensure that if a local school system rescinds a capital project funding request, the charter school becomes eligible for the funds, and procedures were established for mid-year funding requests.
A restriction was added preventing the Interagency Commission from using funds distributed to charter schools as justification to reduce the amount provided to local school systems through the Capital Improvement Program.
The definition of 'public charter school facilities' was updated to include premises occupied and utilized by a school to provide education, and the definition of 'total aggregate student enrollment' was clarified to exclude enrollment in local school systems that have closed over 50 schools since 2010 or made surplus facilities available to charter schools.
The bill text was updated to reflect its enrolled status, including the addition of proofreader lines, the Great Seal presentation date, and the Speaker's signature line.
