Senate Bill 1020 amends various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to public charter schools, specifically addressing their operation within the geographic boundaries of local education agencies (LEAs). A new subsection is added to Section 49-2-140, allowing public charter schools authorized by a county LEA to operate within the boundaries of a municipal LEA, with certain existing subsections not applying to these schools. Additionally, Section 49-13-105(a) is modified to clarify that public charter schools authorized by the commission must generally operate within the boundaries of the LEA that denied their initial application, except as provided in the new Section 49-13-137.
The bill also introduces Section 49-13-137, which permits public charter schools to operate outside their authorized LEA boundaries under specific conditions, such as needing additional space and entering a written lease agreement for facilities within the same county. Other amendments include clarifications on enrollment policies for charter schools operating outside their authorized boundaries and adjustments to compliance requirements for LEAs with charter schools. The act is set to take effect upon becoming law and will apply to the 2025-2026 school year and subsequent years.
Statutes affected: Introduced: 49-2-140, 49-13-105(a), 49-13-105, 49-13-113(c), 49-13-113, 49-13-113(b), 49-13-113(d)(4)(E), 49-13-113(e), 49-13-136(c), 49-13-136