2010 Nevada Code
TITLE 34 EDUCATION
Chapter 386 Local Administrative Organization
NRS 386.520 Membership of committee to form charter school; submission of application to Department; opportunity to correct deficiencies.

NRS 386.520 Membership of committee to form charter school; submission of application to Department; opportunity to correct deficiencies.

1. A committee to form a charter school must consist of at least three teachers, as defined in subsection 4. In addition to the teachers who serve, the committee may consist of:

(a) Members of the general public;

(b) Representatives of nonprofit organizations and businesses; or

(c) Representatives of a college or university within the Nevada System of Higher Education.

A majority of the persons described in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) who serve on the committee must be residents of this State at the time that the application to form the charter school is submitted to the Department.

2. Before a committee to form a charter school may submit an application to the board of trustees of a school district, the Subcommittee on Charter Schools, the State Board or a college or university within the Nevada System of Higher Education, it must submit the application to the Department. The application must include all information prescribed by the Department by regulation and:

(a) A written description of how the charter school will carry out the provisions of NRS 386.500 to 386.610, inclusive.

(b) A written description of the mission and goals for the charter school. A charter school must have as its stated purpose at least one of the following goals:

(1) Improving the opportunities for pupils to learn;

(2) Encouraging the use of effective methods of teaching;

(3) Providing an accurate measurement of the educational achievement of pupils;

(4) Establishing accountability of public schools;

(5) Providing a method for public schools to measure achievement based upon the performance of the schools; or

(6) Creating new professional opportunities for teachers.

(c) The projected enrollment of pupils in the charter school.

(d) The proposed dates of enrollment for the charter school.

(e) The proposed system of governance for the charter school, including, without limitation, the number of persons who will govern, the method of selecting the persons who will govern and the term of office for each person.

(f) The method by which disputes will be resolved between the governing body of the charter school and the sponsor of the charter school.

(g) The proposed curriculum for the charter school and, if applicable to the grade level of pupils who are enrolled in the charter school, the requirements for the pupils to receive a high school diploma, including, without limitation, whether those pupils will satisfy the requirements of the school district in which the charter school is located for receipt of a high school diploma.

(h) The textbooks that will be used at the charter school.

(i) The qualifications of the persons who will provide instruction at the charter school.

(j) Except as otherwise required by NRS 386.595, the process by which the governing body of the charter school will negotiate employment contracts with the employees of the charter school.

(k) A financial plan for the operation of the charter school. The plan must include, without limitation, procedures for the audit of the programs and finances of the charter school and guidelines for determining the financial liability if the charter school is unsuccessful.

(l) A statement of whether the charter school will provide for the transportation of pupils to and from the charter school. If the charter school will provide transportation, the application must include the proposed plan for the transportation of pupils. If the charter school will not provide transportation, the application must include a statement that the charter school will work with the parents and guardians of pupils enrolled in the charter school to develop a plan for transportation to ensure that pupils have access to transportation to and from the charter school.

(m) The procedure for the evaluation of teachers of the charter school, if different from the procedure prescribed in NRS 391.3125. If the procedure is different from the procedure prescribed in NRS 391.3125, the procedure for the evaluation of teachers of the charter school must provide the same level of protection and otherwise comply with the standards for evaluation set forth in NRS 391.3125.

(n) The time by which certain academic or educational results will be achieved.

(o) The kind of school, as defined in subsections 1 to 4, inclusive, of NRS 388.020, for which the charter school intends to operate.

(p) A statement of whether the charter school will enroll pupils who are in a particular category of at-risk pupils before enrolling other children who are eligible to attend the charter school pursuant to NRS 386.580 and the method for determining eligibility for enrollment in each such category of at-risk pupils served by the charter school.

3. The Department shall review an application to form a charter school to determine whether it is complete. If an application proposes to convert an existing public school, homeschool or other program of home study into a charter school, the Department shall deny the application. The Department shall provide written notice to the applicant of its approval or denial of the application. If the Department denies an application, the Department shall include in the written notice the reason for the denial and the deficiencies in the application. The applicant must be granted 30 days after receipt of the written notice to correct any deficiencies identified in the written notice and resubmit the application.

4. As used in subsection 1, "teacher" means a person who:

(a) Holds a current license to teach issued pursuant to chapter 391 of NRS; and

(b) Has at least 2 years of experience as an employed teacher.

The term does not include a person who is employed as a substitute teacher.

(Added to NRS by 1997, 1844; A 1999, 3292; 2001, 3125; 2007, 2568; 2009, 257)