LEGISLATIVE
ALERT NEW CHARTER
SCHOOL APPLICATIONS DUE PRIOR TO
jULY 1ST June
27, 2007
OUTCOME
OF SENATE PROPOSAL REPEALING STATE AUTHORIZATION Instead,
a 2-year moratorium was recommended. Currently, “No
new charter schools shall
be approved by the state board of education under the provisions of
RSA 194-B:3-a between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009, provided that a charter school application filed prior to July 1, 2007
which is scheduled to be acted upon by the state board of education
on or before October 1, 2007 shall be exempt from this prohibition.
Nothing in this section shall affect the validity of a charter school
approved by the state board of education under RSA 194-B:3-a prior
to July 1, 2007. [bold is added by editor] Analysis:
OUTCOME
OF STATE FUNDING FIX FOR CURRENT CHARTER SCHOOLS The
Committee of Conference report on HB 2-FN-A, an act relative to state
fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures makes this budget comment,
Item 92. The amended provision: “ Analysis:
Several
new charter schools are opening in September after months and years
of preparation. These schools learned yesterday that their 3-year,
already-approved, start-up grant will not be allowed, as approved,
for 2nd and 3rd years through the New Hampshire
Department of Education. The schools have relied on their 36-month
start-up grant approval. Charter schools in this situation must apply
anew to the US Department of Education. The June 26th, 2007, letter from John Fiegel, US Department of Education, Director of Parent Options and Information, states: Because
the New Hampshire Department of Education has already been given a
12 month extension and was unable to expend remaining funds, and since
a grant cannot be extended simply to carry forward unexpended funds
into an extended time period for new activities, this letter is to
inform you that this request for a second no-cost extension is denied. Any eligible applicant, including the two charter
schools mentioned in your request needing additional implementation
funds, may apply directly to the Analysis: 1.
The federal government has firm but often daunting guidelines with
which, apparently, the state did not meet in order to continue existing
approved grants. To be fair, there are more people on one floor
of the US DOE building than there are residents in some “According to EDGAR Section 74.25(e), a grantee may not be granted a no-cost
extension simply to obligate unexpended or un-drawn funds after the
objectives of the project have been met.
Further, ED cannot obligate additional funds to the grant for
the extension nor permit the grantee to conduct activities outside
the scope and objectives of the approved project.”
??? How can the project objectives be met, one could ask, if the 36-months
of approved funding for certain schools—the primary purpose of the
state grant--has not been completed?
2. There is a process for charter schools in this position to write new grant applications and compete with others to complete their 36-month grant cycle. This imposes a lot of additional administrative work on small schools trying to open in September. Grants are due August 20th, 2007. OTHER OUTCOMES; LEGISLATIVE CALENDARS Our
website has links to House
Calendars and Senate
Calendars…allowing you to quickly link to see what meetings
are scheduled and what reports are written about new and revised legislation. Here are excerpts from the House and Senate Calendars. Only a few days remain for legislative activity this session. HOUSE CALENDAR, excerpts Friday, June 22, 2007 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE: The
House will meet in session on Wednesday, June 27th, at
10:00 a.m. The House will take up Committee of Conference reports
which will be placed in seat pockets on either Monday or Tuesday.……. There will be no legislative business in July. Thereafter, legislative
business will be restricted to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. COMMITTEE
OF CONFERENCE HOUSE
BILLS…REPORT COMMITTEE
OF CONFERENCE STATEMENTS HOUSE
BILLS HB
1-A, making appropriations for the expenses of certain departments
of the state for fiscal years ending June 30, 2008 and June 30, 2009. Statement not available when calendar sent to print. HB 2-FN-A, relative to state fees, funds, revenues, and expenditures. Statement not available when calendar sent to print. HB 95-L, relative to the treatment of charter school pupils in the definition of average daily membership in residence. The House and Senate conferees were unable to reach agreement on HB 95. The Senate amended the original bill with an amendment which is the same as a bill retained by the House Finance Committee. There were many unresolved issues and the conferees agreed to let the Finance Committee complete its work on the bill. Rep. J. Timothy Dunn WAYS AND MEANS, Room 202, LOB 9:00 a.m. Sales tax subcommittee work session on retained HB 145, establishing an education funding study committee. 10:00
a.m. Property tax subcommittee
work session on retained HB
912-FN-A-L, establishing
the 11:00 a.m. Income tax subcommittee work session on retained HB 145, establishing an education funding study committee. 1:00 p.m. Subcommittee work session on retained HB 520-FN-A, establishing a state-owned casino to provide funds for public education, HB 886-FN-A-L, relative to funding an adequate education, HB 637-FN-A-L, establishing a gaming oversight authority and video lottery gaming, and Casino subcommittee work session on HB 145, establishing an education funding study committee. HOUSE DEADLINES
LAID ON TABLE HB 92, decriminalizing marijuana.
(Pending question is the adoption of the committee report of
Inexpedient to Legislate.) HB 109, eliminating straight ticket voting. (Pending question is the adoption of the committee
report of Inexpedient to Legislate.) HB 177-FN, including “unborn child” in the definition of “another”
for the purpose of first and second degree murder, manslaughter, and
negligent homicide. (Pending
question is the adoption of the committee report of Inexpedient to
Legislate.) HB 234, establishing a committee to study state environmental
laboratory fees and services. (Pending
question is the adoption of the committee amendment.) HB 674, extending the veterans’
property tax credit to all honorably discharged veterans. (No pending question.) HB 745, relative to the use
of secret databases. (No pending
question.) HR 12, affirming revenue estimates for fiscal years 2007, 2008,
and 2009. (Pending question is adoption of the motion of Ought to
Pass.) SB 73-FN-A, relative to lottery prizes and administration by the lottery
commission. (Pending question
is adoption of the majority committee report of Inexpedient to Legislate.) SB 88, relative to public employee
terms of employment, bargaining units, and dispute resolution. (Pending question is adoption of the majority
report of Ought to Pass with Amendment.) SB 191-FN-A, relative to the nongame species account in
the fish and game fund. (Pending
question is adoption of the committee report of Inexpedient to Legislate.)
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