SENATE BILL 214

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2018

INTRODUCED BY

Craig W. Brandt and Candace Gould

AN ACT

RELATING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS; REQUIRING THAT IF A CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICANT OR GOVERNING BODY WINS ITS APPEAL OF CHARTER DENIAL OR REFUSAL TO RENEW A CHARTER BY A LOCAL CHARTERING AUTHORITY, IT MUST BECOME A STATE-CHARTERED CHARTER SCHOOL.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 22-8B-7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1999, Chapter 281, Section 7, as amended) is amended to read:

     "22-8B-7. APPEAL OF DENIAL, NONRENEWAL, SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION--PROCEDURES.--

          A. The secretary, upon receipt of a notice of appeal or upon the secretary's own motion, shall review decisions of a chartering authority concerning charter schools in accordance with the provisions of this section.

          B. A charter applicant or governing body that wishes to appeal a decision of the chartering authority concerning the denial, nonrenewal, suspension or revocation of a charter school or the imposition of conditions that are unacceptable to the charter school or charter school applicant shall provide the secretary with a notice of appeal within thirty days after the chartering authority's decision. The charter school applicant or governing body bringing the appeal shall limit the grounds of the appeal to the grounds for denial, nonrenewal, suspension or revocation or the imposition of conditions that were specified by the chartering authority. The notice shall include a brief statement of the reasons the charter school applicant or governing body contends the chartering authority's decision was in error. Except as provided in Subsection E of this section, [the appeal and review process shall be as follows] within sixty days after receipt of the notice of appeal, the secretary, at a public hearing that may be held in the school district in which the charter school is located or in which the proposed charter school has applied for a charter, shall review the decision of the chartering authority and make findings. If the secretary finds that the chartering authority acted arbitrarily or capriciously, rendered a decision not supported by substantial evidence or did not act in accordance with law, the secretary may reverse the decision of the chartering authority and order the approval of the charter with or without conditions. The decision of the secretary shall be final.

          C. The secretary, on the secretary's own motion, may review a chartering authority's decision to grant a charter. Within sixty days after the making of a motion to review by the secretary, the secretary, at a public hearing that may be held in the school district in which the proposed charter school that has applied for a charter will be located, shall review the decision of the chartering authority and determine whether the decision was arbitrary or capricious or whether the establishment or operation of the proposed charter school would:

                (1) violate any federal or state laws concerning civil rights;

                (2) violate any court order; or

                (3) threaten the health and safety of students within the school district.

          D. If the secretary determines that the charter would violate the provisions set forth in Subsection C of this section, the secretary shall deny the charter application. The secretary may extend the time lines established in this section for good cause. The decision of the secretary shall be final.

          E. If a chartering authority denies an application or refuses to renew a charter because the public school capital outlay council has determined that the facilities do not meet the standards required by Section 22-8B-4.2 NMSA 1978, the charter school applicant or charter school may appeal the decision to the secretary as otherwise provided in this section; provided that the secretary shall reverse the decision of the chartering authority only if the secretary determines that the decision was arbitrary, capricious, not supported by substantial evidence or otherwise not in accordance with the law.

          F. A person aggrieved by a final decision of the secretary may appeal the decision to the district court pursuant to the provisions of Section 39-3-1.1 NMSA 1978.

          G. A charter school applicant or governing body that wins its appeal of a local chartering authority's denial of or refusal to renew a charter shall charter through the commission as a state-chartered charter school."

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