Summary

Oklahoma SB 267 (Open States or Oklahoma Legislature) amends the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board legislation to detail new rights and responsibilities for the Board. It directs the Board to oversee operations and authorization of statewide virtual charter schools and provides direction on virtual charter school funding. It also stipulates that school districts will not be permitted to offer full-time virtual education to non-resident students.

Legislative Analysis

OK SB 267 amends SB 1816 (2012), legislation creating the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board. Under SB 267, the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board will offer oversight of the operations and become the sole authorizer of all statewide virtual charter schools. The Board will establish policies and procedures for accepting, approving, disapproving, and renewing statewide virtual charter school applications. By 2014, all existing virtual charter schools must be approved by the Board. The Board also is permitted to directly sponsor statewide virtual charter schools.

SB 267 establishes guidelines for calculating the weighted average daily membership (ADM) for funding purposes. The weighted ADM for the first year of operation and each year thereafter for a full-time virtual charter school is determined by multiplying the actual enrollment of students as of August 1 by 1.333. At midyear, the allocation for the full-time virtual charter school will be adjusted using the first quarter weighted ADM.

Finally, SB 267 stipulates that beginning on July 1, 2014, no school district will be permitted to offer full-time virtual education to students who are not residents of the school district.

This legislation may have a positive impact on digital learning in Oklahoma by creating an improved system of authorization and oversight.

Legislative History

Detailed Vote History: Legiscan |  Open States

Approved by Governor Mary Fallin on 5/7/2013