R277-554. State Charter School Board Grants and Mentoring Program

R277.  Education, Administration.

R277-554.  State Charter School Board Grants and Mentoring Program.

R277-554-1.  Authority and Purpose.

          (1)  This rule is authorized by:

          (a)  Utah Constitution Article X, Section 3, which vests general control and supervision over public education in the Board;

          (b)  Subsection 53E-3-401(4), which allows the Board to make rules to execute the Board's duties and responsibilities under the Utah Constitution and state law;

          (c)  Title 53G, Chapter 5, Charter Schools, which allows the Board to make rules governing aspects of operations of charter schools; and

          (d)  Section 53F-2-705, which requires the Board to make rules regarding start-up and implementation grants and a mentoring program.

          (2)  The purpose of this rule is to establish rules for the State Charter School Board to operate:

          (a)  a start-up and implementation grant for charter schools; and

          (b)  a mentoring program for charter schools.

R277-554-2.  Charter School Start-up and Implementation Grants.

          (1)  A charter school that desires to receive State Charter School Board start-up and implementation grant funds shall comply with the requirements of this section.

          (2)  To receive a State Charter School Board start-up or implementation grant, a charter school may be eligible if the charter school:

          (a)  meets the requirements of Section 53G-5-404;

          (b)  has a finalized charter agreement with the school's authorizer;

          (c)  for a new, large and small expansions, or satellite school, submits an application for the grant within six months of approval by the school's authorizer; and

          (d)  demonstrates a plan to use the funds within the next two full school years.

          (3)  New, large and small expansions, and satellite schools may be eligible for start-up and implementation grant funds, and receive priority in funding or grant applications.

          (4)  In alignment with Section 53F-2-705, a charter school may be eligible for start-up and implementation grant funds if the school meets any of the following conditions:

          (a)  implementing a new curriculum;

          (b)  implementing a new program; or

          (c)  implementing an innovative practice not funded by the Innovative Sandbox funding as described in Rule R277-919.

          (5)  The State Charter School Board shall determine amounts and conditions for distribution of state start-up or implementation grant funds.

          (6)  Grant funds may only be used for allowable expenditures as established by the State Charter School Board annual application form.

          (7)  Grant recipients shall participate in monitoring activities and shall provide monitoring information to the Superintendent, as directed.

          (8)(a)  A charter school shall repay grant funds to the State Charter School Board if recipients change to non-charter status within ten years of receiving grant funds.

          (b)  The State Charter School Board may grant an exception to the requirements of Subsection (8)(a) for a school that converts status, due to either federal or state law requirements, for academic purposes.

R277-554-3.  Charter School Mentoring Program.

          (1)  The State Charter School Board shall identify critical mentoring needs of charter schools and, through an appropriate procurement process, allocate mentoring funds to one or more qualified individuals or organizations to meet identified needs.

          (2)  Mentoring program participants shall provide information to the State Charter School Board as requested.

          (3)  A participating mentor shall submit an annual program report to the State Charter School Board.

          (4)  The State Charter School Board shall evaluate the mentoring program annually.

KEY:  charter schools, startup, implementation, mentoring

Date of Last Change:  January 10, 2024

Notice of Continuation:  August 15, 2023

Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law:  Art X Sec 3; 53E-3-401; 53G-5-205

Status of Rule

Effective January 10, 2024

Five-year review August 15, 2028

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Oversight Framework

Uncategorized

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Related Utah Law

Public Education Statutes
53F-2-705

Title 53G, Chapter 5, Charter Schools, specifically 53G-5-404

Other Statutes
None

USBE Administrative Rules
R277-100, Definitions for USBE Rules

R277-550, Charter Schools Definitions

R277-551, Charter Schools - General Provisions

R277-552, Charter School Timelines and Approval Processes

R277-553, Charter School Oversight, Monitoring, and Appeals

R277-555, Corrective Action Against Charter School Authorizers

R277-556, Charter School Closure Reserve Account.

R277-919, Regulatory Sandbox Innovation Schools

Related Federal Law

None

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Resources

None

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Contact Information

Primary Contact:
Scott Jones
scott.jones@schools.utah.gov
Financial Operations

Secondary Contact:
Sam Urie
sam.urie@schools.utah.gov
Financial Operations

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This page was last updated on October 19, 2024.

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NOTE: The information on this webpage is provided as a service to users and the Utah State Board of Education is not responsible for any errors or omissions.

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