1. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, the empowerment team of a charter school that is sponsored by the State Public Charter School Authority or by a college or university within the Nevada System of Higher Education which develops an empowerment plan pursuant to NRS 388G.120 shall submit the proposed plan to the Department for transmission to the State Board for review and approval pursuant to this section.

2. The State Board shall review each proposed empowerment plan and approve or deny the plan, including a request for a waiver from a statute contained in this title or a regulation of the State Board or the Department, if applicable. The approval or denial of an empowerment plan must be based solely upon the contents of the plan and may not consider the amount of money required to carry out the empowerment plan if the plan is within the limits of the total apportionment to the charter school pursuant to subsection 4 of NRS 388G.120.

3. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, if the State Board approves an empowerment plan, the President of the State Board, the principal of the charter school and the chair of the empowerment team, if the principal is not the chair, shall each sign the plan. The empowerment plan is effective for 3 years unless the empowerment team determines that the school will no longer operate under the plan or the State Board revokes the plan.

4. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, if the State Board denies an empowerment plan, the State Board shall:

(a) Return the plan to the empowerment team with a written statement indicating the reason for the denial; and

(b) Provide the empowerment team with a reasonable opportunity to correct any deficiencies identified in the written statement and resubmit it for approval. An empowerment plan may be resubmitted not more than once in a school year.

5. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, an empowerment plan for a charter school that is sponsored by the State Public Charter School Authority or by a college or university within the Nevada System of Higher Education is not effective and a charter school shall not operate as an empowerment school unless the plan is signed by the President of the State Board, the principal of the charter school and the chair of the empowerment team, if the principal is not the chair.

6. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 7, the empowerment team may submit a written request to the Department for an amendment to the empowerment plan approved pursuant to this section, including an explanation of the reason for the amendment. An amendment must be approved in the same manner as the empowerment plan was approved.

7. If an empowerment team has not been established pursuant to the exception provided in subsection 2 of NRS 388G.100, the principal of the school shall carry out the responsibilities and duties assigned to the empowerment team pursuant to this section.

(Added to NRS by 2007, 3283; A 2011, 879) — (Substituted in revision for NRS 386.750)