Montana § 20-11-112 - Charter Contract -- Terms

§ 20-11-112. Charter Contract -- Terms

Charter contract -- terms. (1) An initial charter contract must be granted for a term of 5 operating years, commencing on the community choice school's first day of operation. An approved choice school may delay its opening for 1 school year to plan and prepare for the school's opening. If the school requires an opening delay of more than 1 school year, the school shall request an extension from its authorizer. The authorizer may grant or deny the extension depending on the school's circumstances. (2) Within 45 days of approval of a choice school proposal, the authorizer and the governing board of the approved choice school shall execute a charter contract that clearly sets forth the academic and operational performance expectations and measures by which the choice school will be judged and the administrative relationship between the authorizer and the choice school, including each party's rights and duties. (3) The performance provisions of the charter contract may be refined or amended by mutual agreement after the choice school is operating and has collected baseline achievement data for its enrolled students. (4) The charter contract for a full-time virtual community choice school must include a description and agreement regarding the methods by which the school will: (a) monitor and verify full-time student enrollment, student participation in a full course load, credit accrual, and course completion; (b) monitor and verify student progress and performance in each course through regular, proctored assessments and submissions of coursework; and (c) conduct parent-teacher conferences. (5) The charter contract must be signed by the president of the authorizer's governing body and the president of the choice school's governing board. Within 10 days of executing a charter contract, the authorizer shall submit to the commission written notification of the charter contract execution, including a copy of the executed charter contract and any attachments. (6) A community choice school may not commence operations without a charter contract executed in accordance with this section and approved in an open meeting of the authorizer's governing body. (7) Authorizers may establish reasonable pre-opening requirements or conditions to monitor the startup progress of a newly approved choice school to ensure that the school is prepared to open smoothly on the date agreed and to ensure that each school meets all building, health, safety, insurance, and other legal requirements for school opening.