NY State Senate Bill 2023-S4954

Senate Bill S4954

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Provides for parental notification when charter schools receive a corrective action plan or are given a short-term renewal

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to education
Feb 17, 2023	referred to education

co-Sponsors

2023-S4954 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5586
Current Committee:: Senate Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §2855-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in 2021-2022 Legislative Session:: S6087, A7379

2023-S4954 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for parental notification when charter schools receive a corrective action plan or are given a short-term renewal.

2023-S4954 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4954

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to parental notification
when charter schools receive a corrective action plan or are given a
short-term renewal

 
PURPOSE:

This bill requires charter schools to provide notice to parents of their
probationary status or received remedial action plan.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new Section 2855-A to the Education Law that requires
charter schools to notify the parents or legal guardians of enrolled
students or whom the charter schools are attempting to enroll students
when the charter school receives a corrective action plan or is given a
short-term renewal of less than 5 years from their charter authorizer.
Additionally, such notice must be provided to parents or legal guardians

within two weeks of actual notice of the charter school's status. Such
notice shall be sent via postal mail to the parents or legal guardians,
and in the event of dual custody situations, written notice shall be
sent to both parents if their addresses are on file with the school.

Section 2 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This legislation was created in response to incidents involving Citizens
of the World Charter School. That charter school continued to recruit
parents after they had been placed on probation without providing any
notification.

Non-notification is a purposeful omission and can deprive parents of
important information regarding charter schools. When charter schools
attempt to recruit students without informing their parents or legal
guardians that the charter school is on probation, they are jeopardizing
the student's futures especially if the school closes shortly thereaft-
er.  Students could potentially be left with no school to go to if the
charter school closes and public schools they left are at capacity.  The
knowing omission of probationary status shows a disregard for the educa-
tion of children in this state, mandatory reporting on such status or
remedial action plan will allow families to make informed decisions on
school choice. This legislation will provide a database to ensure parent
notification, assisting informed choice across the state.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022: S.6087-A - Referred to Education/A.7379-A - Referred to
Education

2019-2020: A.1927- Referred to Education

2017-2018: S.2886- Referred to Education/A.2837- Referred to Education


2015-2016: S.1241- Referred to Education/A.1870- Advanced to Third Read-
ing Cal. 742

2013-2014: S.5998- Referred to Education/A.8302- Held For Consideration
in Education

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S4954 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4954
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 17, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to parental  notification
   when  charter  schools receive a corrective action plan or are given a
   short-term renewal

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 2855-a
 to read as follows:
   §  2855-A.  PARENTAL  NOTIFICATION.  1.  PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS OF
 CHILDREN WHO ARE ENROLLED IN CHARTER SCHOOLS OR  WHOM  THE  SCHOOLS  ARE
 ATTEMPTING  TO  RECRUIT  SHALL  BE  NOTIFIED WHEN SUCH SCHOOLS RECEIVE A
 CORRECTIVE ACTION PLAN OR ARE GIVEN A SHORT-TERM RENEWAL  OF  LESS  THAN
 FIVE YEARS FROM THEIR CHARTER AUTHORIZER.
   2. THE TERM "CHARTER SCHOOL" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED IN
 THIS CHAPTER.
   3.  SUCH NOTICE SHALL BE PROVIDED WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF ACTUAL NOTICE OF
 SUCH A SCHOOL'S STATUS.
   4. AS SCHOOLS PROVIDE NOTICE, THEY  SHALL  DISCLOSE  THEIR  CORRECTIVE
 ACTION PLAN TO REMAIN OPEN.
   5.  SUCH  PROVIDED NOTICE SHALL BE WRITTEN AND SENT VIA POSTAL MAIL TO
 THE PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS. IN THE EVENT OF DUAL CUSTODY SITUATIONS,
 THE SCHOOLS SHALL PROVIDE  WRITTEN  NOTICE  TO  BOTH  PARENTS  IF  THEIR
 ADDRESSES ARE ON FILE WITH THE SCHOOL.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07403-01-3

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Senate Bill S4954

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Sponsored By

Robert Jackson