Page 8 - CharterToolkit

Q. WHAT ARE THE NEW FINGERPRINT AND PROFESSIONAL CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR CHARTER SCHOOL
TEACHERS?
A. By July 1, 2020, all charter school teachers must obtain a certificate of clearance from the CTC and satisfy the CTC’s
professional fitness requirements. This means all charter school teachers will be required to submit their fingerprints and
information regarding their background to the CTC, and obtain Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation
clearances, through the CTC.

Q. OUR CHARTER SCHOOL TEACHERS ALREADY HAVE LIVESCAN FINGERPRINT CLEARANCES ON FILE WITH THE
DISTRICT. MUST TEACHERS BE RE-FINGERPRINTED THROUGH THE CTC?
A. Yes, if a teacher does not possess a current CTC certificate of clearance, the teacher will need to be re-fingerprinted in order
to obtain one.

Charter School Location
Q. I UNDERSTAND NEW RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN PLACED ON WHERE A CHARTER SCHOOL MAY LOCATE. TRUE?
A. Yes. With very few exceptions, all charter schools must now operate within the geographic boundaries of the authorizing
school district.

Q. IS A NONCLASSROOM-BASED CHARTER SCHOOL STILL PERMITTED TO OPERATE A SATELLITE FACILITY IN A
COUNTY ADJACENT TO THE ONE IT IS AUTHORIZED IN?
A. No. Effective January 1, 2020, this exception, formerly located at Education Code section 47605.1(c), is eliminated.

Q. WHAT HAPPENS TO CHARTER SCHOOL FACILITIES LOCATED IN AN ADJACENT COUNTY AT THE TIME AB 1507 WAS
ENACTED?
A. Charter school facilities lawfully located in an adjacent county, pursuant to section 47605.1(c) prior to January 1, 2020,
may operate in their present location until the charter petition comes up for renewal. At that time, before submitting a
renewal petition to its authorizer, a charter school must first obtain written permission from the school district(s) in which
its satellite facility is located, to continue operating at the adjacent county location.

Q. WHERE MAY A NONCLASSROOM-BASED CHARTER SCHOOL NOW LOCATE ITS SATELLITE FACILITIES?
A. Going forward, a nonclassroom-based charter school may now operate a resource center, meeting space, or other satellite
facility within the jurisdiction of the school district in which it is physically located, if: (1) the facility is used exclusively for
the educational support of students enrolled in nonclassroom-based independent study of the charter school, and (2)
the charter school provides its primary educational services in, and a majority of the pupils it serves are residents of, the
county in which the charter school is authorized.

Q. DOES THE LAW PROVIDE FOR A CHARTER SCHOOL TO ESTABLISH ADDITIONAL FACILITIES WITHIN THE
JURISDICTION OF THE CHARTERING AUTHORITY?
A. Yes, either a seat-based or nonclassroom-based charter school may establish additional facilities within the jurisdiction
of the charter school’s chartering authority, only if: (1) the charter school is physically located within the boundaries of the
charter school’s chartering authority, and (2) the charter school obtains written approval from the chartering authority for
each additional facility.

Q. MAY A CHARTER SCHOOL STILL LOCATE ONE SITE OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARIES OF ITS AUTHORIZER, BUT WITHIN
THE SAME COUNTY, IF IT ATTEMPTED, BUT WAS UNABLE, TO LOCATE WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES OF
ITS AUTHORIZING SCHOOL DISTRICT?
A. No. Effective January 1, 2020, this exception, formerly located at Education Code sections 47605(a)(5) and 47605.1(d),
was eliminated entirely.

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