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Pursuant to the Charter School Regulations, 603 CMR 1.10(1), the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) must approve certain changes in the material terms of a school's charter. This year (2019-2020), the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) received requests from three existing charter schools that involve changes to the grades served and/or the maximum enrollment allowed. Please contact the Department at charterschools@doe.mass.edu to obtain copies of any of the submitted amendment requests.
Section 1.10 of 603 CMR contains several criteria that the Commissioner and the Board may consider in reaching a determination regarding a school's request to amend its charter. First, "the Commissioner and the Board may consider a charter school's compliance with applicable state, federal, and local law." Second, the Commissioner and the Board may consider the evidence regarding the success of the school's academic program, the viability of the school as an organization, and the faithfulness of the school to the terms of its charter. Third, if seeking an increase in maximum enrollment in certain districts, the board of trustees must qualify as a "proven provider" based on the existing school and must meet the performance criteria described in 603 CMR 1.04(4). Fourth, schools must address additional criteria as outlined in the Department's guidelines on amendments.
We currently anticipate bringing these matters to the Board for consideration no earlier than its meeting scheduled for December 17, 2019 and anticipate completing the process by its meeting scheduled for February 25, 2020. Updates may be found on the Department's website at Board Meeting Schedule and Agendas.
The Department solicits comments from the superintendents in the school districts within each charter school's current/proposed district or region. Members of the public may submit written comments regarding a school's amendment request to: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, c/o Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign, 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148 or by email to charterschools@doe.mass.edu. The Department requests that public comment be submitted by November 15, 2019.