§302A-1185 New century charter schools; funding. (a) Beginning with the fiscal year 2004-2005 supplemental budget request, and each budget request thereafter, the charter school administrative office shall submit a request for general fund appropriations for each new century charter school based upon:
(1) The actual and projected enrollment figures in the current school year for each charter school; and
(2) A per pupil amount for each regular education and special education student, which shall be equivalent to the total per pupil cost based upon average enrollment in all cost categories, including comprehensive school support services but excluding special education services, and for all means of financing except federal funds, as reported in the most recently published department of education consolidated annual financial report.
The legislature shall make an appropriation based upon the budget request; provided that [the] legislature may make additional appropriations for collective bargaining increases for charter school employee members of collective bargaining units and for other requested amounts. The governor, pursuant to chapter 37, may impose restrictions or reductions on charter school appropriations similar to those imposed on other public schools.
(b) All federal financial support for new century charter schools shall be no less than all other public schools; provided that if administrative services related to federal grants and subsidies are provided to the charter school by the department, the charter school shall reimburse the department for the actual costs of the administrative services in an amount that does not exceed six and one-half per cent of the charter school's federal grants and subsidies.
Any new century charter school shall be eligible to receive any supplementary financial grant or award for which any other public school may submit a proposal, or any supplemental federal grants limited to new century charter schools; provided that if department administrative services, including funds management, budgetary, fiscal accounting, or other related services, are provided with respect to these supplementary grants, the charter school shall reimburse the department for the actual costs of the administrative services in an amount that does not exceed six and one-half per cent of the supplementary grant for which the services are used.
All additional funds that are generated by the local school boards, not from a supplementary grant, shall be separate and apart from allotted funds and may be expended at the discretion of the local school boards.
(c) To enable new century charter schools to access state funding prior to the start of each school year, foster their fiscal planning, and enhance their accountability, the charter school administrative office shall:
(1) Provide forty per cent of a new century charter school's per pupil allocation based on the new century charter school's projected student enrollment no later than August 1 of each fiscal year; provided that the new century charter school shall submit to the charter school administrative office a projected student enrollment no later than May 15 of each year;
(2) Provide an additional forty per cent of a new century charter school's per pupil allocation no later than October 15 of each year; provided that the new century charter school shall submit to the charter school administrative office a verified student enrollment no later than September 15 of each year; and
(3) Provide the remaining twenty per cent per pupil allocation of a new century charter school based on the new century charter school's verified student enrollment no later than January 1 of each year; provided that the new century charter school shall submit to the charter school administrative office a revised student enrollment no later than December 1 of each year.
(d) The department shall provide appropriate transitional resources to a new century conversion charter school for its first year of operation as a charter school based upon the department's allocation to the school for the year prior to the charter school's conversion.
(e) No new century charter school nor new century conversion charter school may assess tuition. [L 1999, c 62, pt of §2; am L 2000, c 187, §5; am L 2001, c 209, §2; am L 2002, c 262, §3; am L 2003, c 203, §3]