33-5804. INNOVATION SCHOOL AGREEMENT. (1) An innovation school may be established by a written innovation school agreement between:

(a) A majority of the teachers at the school seeking to establish an innovation school, in cooperation with a principal or a superintendent, or both;

(b) A board; and

(c) The authorizer if the innovation school is a public charter school.

(2) The innovation school agreement shall include:

(a) A statement that the innovation school is considered to be part of the school district and not considered a separate local education agency;

(b) A provision that the district shall distribute estimated state, federal and local funding to the innovation school consistent with the amounts it distributes to other schools in the district;

(c) The performance goals and accountability metrics agreed upon for the innovation school;

(d) The duration of the agreement, which shall be for not less than three (3) years and include automatic renewal at the option of the innovation school team if all conditions under the agreement are satisfied;

(e) Grounds for termination of the agreement, including the right of termination if the innovation school team fails to:

(i) Comply with the conditions or procedures established in the innovation school agreement;

(ii) Meet generally accepted fiscal management and government accounting principles;

(iii) Comply with applicable laws; or

(iv) Meet the educational goals set forth in the innovation school agreement;

(f) If the innovation school is an existing public charter school authorized by the district, a statement regarding which provisions of chapter 52 of this title shall apply;

(g) A provision that specifies that the innovation school will administer the Idaho standards achievement test;

(h) A statement that the innovation school will meet content standards as set forth in rule promulgated by the state board of education; and

(i) A statement specifying how graduation requirements will be addressed.

(3) The board shall notify the state board of education within thirty (30) days after entering into an innovation school agreement to establish an innovation school. Upon receiving notification, the state board of education shall notify the state department of education, and the state department of education shall, for school years starting after the date of the agreement:

(a) Within sixty (60) days of notification, distribute ten thousand dollars($10,000)to the innovation school team to be used for planning purposes;

(b) Treat the innovation school as part of the local district for purposes of state and national assessments; and

(c) Treat the innovation school in the same manner as a school operated by the local district when calculating the total amount of state and federal funding to be distributed to the school district.

(4) For as long as an innovation school team operates an innovation school:

(a) The innovation school team may use the school building, the accompanying real property and the building’s contents, equipment and supplies, unless otherwise provided in the innovation school agreement.

(b) The school district shall provide the innovation school with transportation, building and grounds maintenance and repair, and access to funds consistent with that afforded other schools in the same district.

(c) With the exception of funds described in subsection (3)(a) of this section, an innovation school is not entitled to any state funding not afforded other district schools.

(d) If an innovation school team contracts with a school district for goods or services, the school district may not charge more for the goods or services than the school district pays for the goods or services.

(5) The innovation school team shall have full operational autonomy to run the innovation school as provided in the innovation school agreement.

(6) Employees of an innovation school may organize and create collectively bargained working conditions with the innovation school team, consistent with the principles, vision, goals and essential characteristics of the innovation school.

(7) Individuals employed by an innovation school are entitled to participate in the public employee retirement system, federal social security, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation insurance and health insurance.

(8) If an agreement is terminated pursuant to subsection (2)(e) of this section, then the affected school shall revert to the type of school it was immediately before becoming an innovation school and shall thereby be subject to all applicable laws, rules, guidelines and policies.

History:

[33-5804, added 2016, ch. 305, sec. 1, p. 859.]