This bill amends Section 33-5203 of the Idaho Code to revise the approval process for public charter schools. Key changes include the removal of the phrase "No whole" and the insertion of "Any" to allow any school district to convert to a charter district or include all schools as public charter schools. The bill also clarifies that the authorizer must receive applications for new public charter schools by September 1 to begin instruction the following school year, and that newly chartered schools must be authorized by January 1 of the previous school year. Additionally, it specifies that converting an existing traditional public school or school district to a public charter school or charter district can only be approved by the board of trustees of the respective school district.

Furthermore, the bill outlines restrictions on charter approvals, including prohibiting the conversion of private or parochial schools to public charter schools and ensuring that charter holders do not operate unrelated enterprises using state education funding. It designates each authorized public charter school as a local education agency (LEA) unless otherwise agreed upon by the charter holder and authorizer. The bill declares an emergency, making it effective on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 33-5203