PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS
INTRODUCTION APPLICATIONS APPLICATION RESOURCES PUBLIC CHARTER RESOURCES
PUBLIC CHARTER RESOURCES
HB 549 (2023), codified in Title 20, Chapter 6, Part 8 of Montana Code Annotated, authorized the establishment of public charter schools in Montana and tasked the Board of Public Education as the sole entity authorized to enter into public charter contracts with a governing board.
Section 6.1.2 of the Public Charter Contract requires the Charter Governing Board to provide a statement to the Board of Public Education, no later than one hundred and twenty (120) days after the date of execution of the Public Charter Contract, concerning the status of management and financial controls (the "Initial Statement") of the school. The Initial Statement must address whether the Charter Governing Board has documented adequate controls at that school.
Purpose: This Initial Statement is to be submitted to the Board of Public Education to demonstrate that the Charter Governing Board has adequate controls in place at the public charter school relating to generally accepted accounting principles, payroll procedures, contributions and grants, financial statements, and internal controls and procedures.
Section 6.3 of the Contract requires the year-end financial statements known as the Trustees Financial Summary to be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and submitted by Charter Governing Board. In addition, during each year of operation, the Charter Governing Board shall prepare and submit to the Board of Public Education a quarterly unaudited statement of expenses, including a narrative related to program activities, for the preceding quarter.
Purpose: This quarterly financial statement is a year-to-date report showing charter school expenditures from the start of the fiscal year to the most recently completed quarter. The report includes a description of significant program activities associated with these expenditures. General fund expenditures must be reported for the public charter school by program, function, and object. In addition, charter school expenditures for all funds must be reported as total expenditures for the fund. The quarterly financial statement is due to the Board of Public Education within 45 days of the end of a calendar quarter. This unaudited statement of expenses must be prepared using the School District Chart of Accounts developed by the Office of Public Instruction.
Quarter 1 (July 1 – September 30) Due: November 14, 2024
Quarter 2 (October 1 – December 31) Due: February 14, 2025
Quarter 3 (January 1 – March 31) Due: May 15, 2025
Quarter 4 (April 1 – June 30) Due: August 14, 2025
Performance Framework Rubric and Criteria
Public charter schools shall identify a performance framework as prescribed in 20-6-809, MCA, that clearly sets forth the academic and operational performance indicators, measures, and metrics. These performance framework indicators, measures, and metrics must align to mission-specific goals, and when possible, exceed provisions in Title 20 of the Montana Code Annotated and Title 10 of the Administrative Rules of Montana. The performance framework indicators, measures, and metrics must be reported to the Board of Public Education no later than October 30 of the first year of operation.
Public charter schools shall submit information in accordance with the Office of Public Instruction Accreditation Process documenting adherence to the performance framework to support the Board of Public Education’s evaluation and annual reporting process. The Board shall publish an annual report that includes a comparison of the performance of public charter school students with the performance of academically, ethnically, and economically comparable groups of students in noncharter public schools.
The Charter Contract is executed between the Charter Governing Board and the Board of Public Education within 45 days of the approval of a new public charter that outlines the roles, powers, responsibilities, and performance expectations.