Board Governance and Charter Amendments

Board Governance

Notification and Amendments

Significant Matters and New Circumstances at a Charter School that Require Notification to the Department

Charter schools are required to report certain types of significant matters and new circumstances to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) in a timely fashion. Notification requires an individual authorized by the board, usually the school leader or a member of the school's administration, to notify the Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign informing the Department of the significant matter or new circumstance. Notification may be submitted via email to charterschools@mass.gov , with the exception of updates that can occur through the Board Member Management System. Information regarding the board of trustees is updated within the Board Member Management System and also recorded in the school's annual report.

The Department requires notification of any significant matters related to an investigation, which include, but are not limited to, all communications made or received by or on behalf of the school with any government audit, investigative, or law enforcement agency. Pursuant to 603 CMR 1.08 (10), every charter school shall notify the Department in writing of all significant matters within two business days.

Pursuant to 603 CMR 1.08 (11), the Department requires notification when schools experience changes in:

individuals holding school leadership positions, such as an executive director or principal [whether interim or permanent capacity];
the delay of implementation of a granted amendment*;
location of the school's facilities within the same municipality and documentation of the school's compliance with state and federal laws, including but not limited to all fire, health, and safety laws and accessibility requirements for the new facility or renovations to the current facility;
information regarding the board of trustees, including officers of the school's board of trustees, individuals resigning from the board of trustees, and general contact information for members of the school's board of trustees;
general contact information (phone number, mailing address, and email) for the school; or
significant decreases in enrollment (more than 10% lower than any previously reported figure).

*Note: If the delay of an amendment request includes a change to the roll out of a grade span change or maximum enrollment increase, the change will require approval of the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education and requires consultation with the Department.

In addition to notifying the Department of changes in leadership and contact information, charter schools must also update the Department's central Directory Administration system as needed. This is an online system used by all public schools and districts to identify key personnel and contact information. The Directory Administration database is used by many different offices in the Department to distribute important information, and some of the information is also made available to the public on the School Profiles page of the Department's website. Therefore, it is essential that this information be kept current. Charter schools can view, add, update, and delete their own information in the Directory Administration database through the Department's security portal. Schools should contact the Department's data collection unit at 781-338-DATA or data@doe.mass.edu with any questions about this process.

Amendments of Board and School Policies, such as Bylaws and Enrollment Policy, and Mission-related Elements

Subject to Approval of the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education

All amendments to board approved policies that require alignment to published Department guidance require provisional approval by the Department prior to Commissioner approval. Provisional approval ensures that all changes align to current Department guidance and requirements. Please refer to the table below to determine the staff member who will review and provide provisional approval to the type of document the school seeks to amend. Prior to submission, any specific questions regarding Department guidance or the review process should be directed to the individual named below. Please submit the draft document directly to the individual via email.

Preliminary approval is required for changes to:

Document	Liaison	Resource
Accountability Plan	Esther Jeong	Accountability Plan Guidelines
Bylaws	Alyssa Hopkins	Criteria for Bylaws Checklist
Enrollment policy & application for admission	Brenton Stewart	Charter School Technical Advisory 16-3: Enrollment Processes and FAQ's Enrollment Policy and Practice Frequently Asked Questions Criteria for Enrollment Policy and Application for Admission Checklist
Expulsion policy	Melissa Gordon	Criteria for Expulsion Policy Checklist
Memorandum of understanding for Horace Mann charter schools	Alyssa Hopkins	Required and Recommended Elements of a Memorandum of Understanding

All other amendments to terms of the school's charter may be voted upon by the board and submitted directly to the Department via CharterSchoolAmendments@mass.gov for Commissioner approval without consultation with the Department.

Consultation with Department staff is not required prior to submission for changes to:

School name;
Mission;
Governance or leadership structure;
Educational programs, curriculum models, or whole-school designs that are inconsistent with those specified in the school's charter;
Membership of the board of trustees;
Schedule (e.g. length of school year, school week, or school day); and
Location of facilities, if such change involves relocating or expanding to another municipality within the charter region.

For information on how to complete an amendment request, please refer to the Amendment Guidelines below.

Guidelines for Charter Amendments Subject to Commissioner Approval

All amendment requests shall include a Charter Amendment Cover Sheet and a Charter Amendment Request Letter for Commissioner Approval. Charter Amendment Request Letters should briefly describe how the board came to decide to submit the charter amendment, why the amendment should be granted, and indicate specific concerns if the request is not granted, as applicable.

Templates for both documents can be found below.

If a school is proposing to permanently change its schedule, length of school year, school week, or school day), the school must also submit a completed School Schedule Template with the request.

School Schedule Template

Amendment Requests to Change Charter Region, Maximum Enrollment, and Grades Served

Subject to Approval of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education

When a school receives its original charter and any subsequent renewals of that charter from the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board), the state approves the charter school's broad academic and organizational plans for the next five years. Any substantive changes to those plans require the approval of the Board for an amendment to the school's charter before the changes are implemented. Charter amendments involving the districts specified in a school's charter, maximum enrollment, or grades served requires approval by the Board before implementation.

Schools are encouraged to consult with the Department prior to submission to ensure the request meets the standards for consideration by the commissioner and the Board.

The Amendment Guidelines were updated in May 2023 to include additional requirements related to the Charter School Program (CSP) grant. Additional criteria related to family and community engagement were added to the instructions for all types of requests. Schools are encouraged to consult with the Department to determine if their proposed expansion is eligible for the CSP grant.

For information on how to complete an amendment request or the proven provider request, please refer to the Amendment Guidelines below:

Guidelines for Charter Amendments to Districts Served, Grades Served, and Maximum Enrollment

All amendment requests shall include a Charter Amendment Cover Sheet and a Charter Amendment Request Letter.

Deadline for School Year 2023-2024 Requests

All schools who seek to amend their charter region, grades served, and/or maximum enrollment must submit a request by 12:00 noon on August 1, 2023 to CharterSchoolAmendments@mass.gov .

Seat Availability

FY2024 Enrollment Projections by District for New Applications and Expansion Amendments
The 2023-2024 projections do not guarantee the number of seats available for award in any district in FY2024. The actual number of seats that may be available for award in any district in any particular year cannot be predicted with certainty and is dependent on several factors, including district enrollment, district spending levels, student enrollment for existing charter schools, and changes in the net school spending caps of individual districts.

Last Updated: February 15, 2024