2011 Nevada Revised Statutes
Chapter 386 - Local Administrative Organization
NRS 386.515 - Sponsorship of charter schools by board of trustees, State Public Charter School Authority and Nevada System of Higher Education; duties and powers of sponsor; development of policies and practices by sponsor; grounds for revocation of sponsorship.

1. The board of trustees of a school district may apply to the Department for authorization to sponsor charter schools within the school district. An application must be approved by the Department before the board of trustees may sponsor a charter school. Not more than 180 days after receiving approval to sponsor charter schools, the board of trustees shall provide public notice of its ability to sponsor charter schools and solicit applications for charter schools.

2. The State Public Charter School Authority shall sponsor charter schools whose applications have been approved by the State Public Charter School Authority pursuant to NRS 386.525. Except as otherwise provided by specific statute, if the State Public Charter School Authority sponsors a charter school, the State Public Charter School Authority is responsible for the evaluation, monitoring and oversight of the charter school.

3. A college or university within the Nevada System of Higher Education may sponsor charter schools.

4. Each sponsor of a charter school shall carry out the following duties and powers:

(a) Evaluating applications to form charter schools as prescribed by NRS 386.525;

(b) Approving applications to form charter schools that the sponsor determines are high quality, meet the identified educational needs of pupils and will serve to promote the diversity of public educational choices in this State;

(c) Declining to approve applications to form charter schools that do not satisfy the requirements of NRS 386.525;

(d) Negotiating and executing written charters pursuant to NRS 386.527;

(e) Monitoring, in accordance with NRS 386.490 to 386.610, inclusive, and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable written charter, the performance and compliance of each charter school sponsored by the entity; and

(f) Determining whether each written charter of a charter school that the entity sponsors merits renewal or whether the renewal of the written charter should be denied or the written charter should be revoked in accordance with NRS 386.530 or 386.535, as applicable.

5. Each sponsor of a charter school shall develop policies and practices that are consistent with state laws and regulations governing charter schools. In developing the policies and practices, the sponsor shall review and evaluate nationally recognized policies and practices for sponsoring organizations of charter schools. The policies and practices must include, without limitation:

(a) The organizational capacity and infrastructure of the sponsor for sponsorship of charter schools, which must not be described as a limit on the number of charter schools the sponsor will approve;

(b) The procedure for evaluating charter school applications in accordance with NRS 386.525;

(c) A description of how the sponsor will maintain oversight of the charter schools it sponsors; and

(d) A description of the process of evaluation for charter schools it sponsors in accordance with NRS 386.610.

6. Evidence of material or persistent failure to carry out the powers and duties of a sponsor prescribed by this section constitutes grounds for revocation of the entity s authority to sponsor charter schools.

(Added to NRS by 1997, 1844; A 2001, 3125; 2005, 2398; 2007, 2567; 2011, 2358)