Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-3-134

Procedures.

A. For written applications filed after July 1, 2024, prior to

submission of the application to a proposed sponsor seeking to

establish a charter school or to the Statewide Charter School Board

to establish a virtual charter school, the applicant shall be

required to complete training which shall not exceed ten (10) hours

provided by the Statewide Charter School Board on the process and

requirements for establishing a charter school or virtual charter

school. The sponsor of a charter school that enters into a new or

renewed sponsorship contract on or after July 1, 2024, shall be

required to complete training provided by the Statewide Charter

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 190

School Board or an organization approved by the Statewide Charter

School Board on the oversight duties of the sponsor. The Board

shall develop and implement the training and publish a list of

organizations approved to provide training by July 1, 2024. The

Board and organizations approved by the Board may provide the

training in any format and manner determined to be efficient and

effective including, but not limited to, web-based training.

B. Except as otherwise provided for in Section 3-137 of this

title, an applicant seeking to establish a virtual charter school

shall submit a written application to the Statewide Charter School

Board, and an applicant seeking to establish a charter school shall

submit a written application to the proposed sponsor as provided for

in subsection E of this section. The application shall include:

1. A mission statement for the charter school or virtual

charter school;

2. A description including, but not limited to, background

information of the organizational structure and the governing board

of the charter school or virtual charter school;

3. A financial plan for the first five (5) years of operation

of the charter school or virtual charter school and a description of

the treasurer or other officers or persons who shall have primary

responsibility for the finances of the charter school or virtual

charter school. Such person shall have demonstrated experience in

school finance or the equivalent thereof;

4. A description of the hiring policy of the charter school or

virtual charter school;

5. The name of the applicant or applicants and requested

sponsor;

6. A description of the facility and location of the charter

school;

7. A description of the grades being served;

8. An outline of criteria designed to measure the effectiveness

of the charter school or virtual charter school;

9. Documentation that the applicants completed training as set

forth in subsection A of this section;

10. A description of the minimum and maximum enrollment planned

per year for each term of the charter contract;

11. The proposed calendar for the charter school or virtual

charter school and sample daily schedule;

12. Unless otherwise authorized by law or regulation, a

description of the academic program aligned with state standards;

13. A description of the instructional design of the charter

school or virtual charter school including the type of learning

environment, class size and structure, curriculum overview, and

teaching methods;

14. The plan for using internal and external assessments to

measure and report student progress on the performance framework

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developed by the applicant in accordance with Section 3-136 of this

title;

15. The plans for identifying and successfully serving students

with disabilities, students who are English language learners, and

students who are academically behind;

16. A description of cocurricular or extracurricular programs

and how they will be funded and delivered;

17. Plans and time lines for student recruitment and enrollment

including lottery procedures;

18. The student discipline policies for the charter school or
ccessfully serving students

with disabilities, students who are English language learners, and

students who are academically behind;

16. A description of cocurricular or extracurricular programs

and how they will be funded and delivered;

17. Plans and time lines for student recruitment and enrollment

including lottery procedures;

18. The student discipline policies for the charter school or

virtual charter school including those for special education

students;

19. An organizational chart that clearly presents the

organizational structure of the charter school or virtual charter

school, including lines of authority and reporting between the

governing board, staff, any related bodies such as advisory bodies

or parent and teacher councils, and any external organizations that

will play a role in managing the school;

20. A clear description of the roles and responsibilities for

the governing board, the leadership and management team for the

charter school or virtual charter school, and any other entities

shown in the organizational chart;

21. The leadership and teacher employment policies for the

charter school or virtual charter school;

22. Proposed governing bylaws;

23. Explanations of any partnerships or contractual

partnerships central to the operations or mission of the charter

school or virtual charter school;

24. The plans for providing transportation, food service, and

all other significant operational or ancillary services;

25. Opportunities and expectations for parental involvement;

26. A detailed school start-up plan that identifies tasks, time

lines, and responsible individuals;

27. A description of the financial plan and policies for the

charter school or virtual charter school including financial

controls and audit requirements;

28. A description of the insurance coverage the charter school

or virtual charter school will obtain;

29. Start-up and five-year budgets with clearly stated

assumptions;

30. Start-up and first-year cash-flow projections with clearly

stated assumptions;

31. Evidence of anticipated fundraising contributions, if

claimed in the application;

32. A sound facilities plan including backup or contingency

plans if appropriate;

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33. A requirement that the charter school or virtual charter

school governing board meet no fewer than ten (10) months of the

year in the state and that for those charter schools outside of

counties with a population of five hundred thousand (500,000) or

more, that a minimum of two (2) members are residents within the

geographic boundary of the charter school;

34. A requirement that the charter school or virtual charter

school follow the requirements of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act and

Oklahoma Open Records Act; and

35. A copy of any proposed contract between the governing board

of a charter school or virtual charter school and an educational

management organization, as defined by Section 5-200 of this title,

which meets the requirements of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act.

C. A board of education of a public school district, public

body, public or private college or university, private person, or

private organization may contract with a sponsor to establish a

charter school or virtual charter school. A private school shall

not be eligible to contract for a charter school or virtual charter

school under the provisions of the Oklahoma Charter Schools Act.

D. The sponsor of a charter school is the board of education of

a school district, a higher education institution, a private

institution of higher learning accredited pursuant to Section 4103

of this title, a federally recognized Indian tribe which meets the

criteria established in Section 3-132 of this title, or beginning

July 1, 2024, the Statewide Charter School Board. Any sponsor

authorized pursuant to subsection A of Section 3-132 of this title
n of

a school district, a higher education institution, a private

institution of higher learning accredited pursuant to Section 4103

of this title, a federally recognized Indian tribe which meets the

criteria established in Section 3-132 of this title, or beginning

July 1, 2024, the Statewide Charter School Board. Any sponsor

authorized pursuant to subsection A of Section 3-132 of this title

may sponsor one or more charter schools. The physical location of a

charter school sponsored by a board of education of a school

district shall be within the boundaries of the sponsoring school

district. The physical location of a charter school sponsored by

the Statewide Charter School Board pursuant to paragraph 6 of

subsection A of Section 3-132 of this title shall be in the school

district in which the application originated.

E. 1. Beginning July 1, 2024, any application seeking to

establish a charter school in this state shall be submitted first to

the school district in which the proposed charter school is to be

located. The school district board of education shall approve or

deny the application within sixty (60) days of receipt of the

application. If the charter school application is denied, nothing

shall prohibit an applicant from submitting a revised application to

the school district board of education, which shall approve or deny

the revised application within sixty (60) days of receipt of the

application.

2. An applicant for a charter school that has been denied

pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subsection may submit an application

to a proposed sponsor listed in paragraphs 2 through 6 of subsection

A of Section 3-132 of this title, which shall either accept or

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 193

reject sponsorship of the charter school within ninety (90) days of

receipt of the application. If the proposed sponsor rejects the

application, it shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons

for the rejection. The applicant may submit a revised application

for reconsideration to the proposed sponsor within thirty (30) days

after receiving notification of the rejection. The proposed sponsor

shall accept or reject the revised application within thirty (30)

days of its receipt.

3. Beginning July 1, 2024, an applicant for a virtual charter

school shall submit an application to the Statewide Charter School

Board, which shall either accept or reject sponsorship of the

virtual charter school within ninety (90) days of receipt of the

application. If the application is rejected, the Statewide Charter

School Board shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons

for the rejection. The applicant may submit a revised application

for reconsideration to the Statewide Charter school Board within

thirty (30) days after receiving notification of the rejection. The

Statewide Charter School Board shall accept or reject the revised

application within thirty (30) days of its receipt.

F. A board of education of a school district, a higher

education institution, a private institution of higher learning

accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of this title, or a federally

recognized Indian tribe shall notify the State Board of Education

and the Statewide Charter School Board when it accepts sponsorship

of a charter school. The notification shall include a copy of the

charter of the charter school.

G. Applicants for charter schools and virtual charter schools

proposed to be sponsored by the Statewide Charter School Board may,

upon rejection of a revised application, proceed to binding

arbitration under the commercial rules of the American Arbitration

Association with costs of the arbitration to be borne by the

applicant.

H. If a board of education of a school district, a higher

education institution, a private institution of higher learning

accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of this title, or a federally

recognized Indian tribe accepts sponsorship of a charter school, the
rbitration under the commercial rules of the American Arbitration

Association with costs of the arbitration to be borne by the

applicant.

H. If a board of education of a school district, a higher

education institution, a private institution of higher learning

accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of this title, or a federally

recognized Indian tribe accepts sponsorship of a charter school, the

administrative, fiscal, and oversight responsibilities of the school

district, the higher education institution, the private institution

of higher learning accredited pursuant to Section 4103 of this

title, or the federally recognized Indian tribe shall be listed in

the contract. No administrative, fiscal, or oversight

responsibilities of a charter school shall be delegated to a school

district unless the school district agrees to enter into a contract

to assume the responsibilities.

I. A sponsor of a public charter school shall have the

following powers and duties over charter schools it sponsors, and

the Statewide Charter School Board shall have the following powers

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 70. Schools Page 194

and duties over the charter schools and virtual charter schools it

sponsors:

1. Provide services and oversight of the operations of charter

schools or virtual charter schools in the state through annual

performance reviews and reauthorization;

2. Solicit and evaluate charter applications;

3. Approve quality charter applications that meet identified

educational needs and promote a diversity of educational choices;

4. Decline to approve weak or inadequate charter applications;

5. Negotiate and execute sound charter contracts with each

approved public charter school or virtual charter school;

6. Approve or deny proposed contracts between the governing

board of a charter school or virtual charter school and an

educational management organization, as defined by section 5-200 of

this title;

7. Monitor, in accordance with charter contract terms, the

performance and legal compliance of charter schools and virtual

charter schools; and

8. Determine whether each charter contract merits renewal,

nonrenewal, or revocation.

J. Sponsors shall establish a procedure for accepting,

approving, and disapproving charter school applications in

accordance with subsection E of this section. The Statewide Charter

School Board shall post its application, application process, and

application time frames on the Board’s website.

K. Sponsors including the Statewide Charter School Board shall

develop and maintain chartering policies and practices consistent

with recognized principles and standards for quality charter

sponsoring in all major areas of sponsoring responsibility including

organizational capacity and infrastructure, soliciting and

evaluating charter school and virtual charter school applications,

performance contracting, ongoing charter school and virtual charter

school oversight and evaluation, and charter contract renewal

decision-making.

L. Sponsors acting in their official capacity shall be immune

from civil and criminal liability with respect to all activities

related to a charter school with which they contract.