Relating to charter schools and innovation zone schools, including by modifying provisions related to charter school funding and operations, services provided to charter schools by area education agencies, charter school contracts, and charter school student participation in extracurricular activities provided by public schools, striking provisions allowing for the establishment of innovation zone schools, and including applicability provisions

Current Code chapter 256F authorizes school districts to join together to establish an innovation zone school, a public school, administered by a principal, that is designed to encourage diverse approaches to learning and education and that operates pursuant to the terms of a contract entered into between the boards of directors of the school districts establishing the innovation zone school and the state board of education. The division modifies Code chapter 256F to remove all references to innovation zone schools, which eliminates the authorization for school districts to join together to establish an innovation zone school. The division makes conforming changes. Current law provides that the term of a charter school contract entered into between the board of directors of a school district that has established a charter school under Code chapter 256F and the state board of education shall be four years. The division provides that the term of such a contract shall be five years.9 (performance framework). These provisions apply to charter school contracts under Code chapter 256F that are renewed on or after the effective date of the division. The division transfers the Code sections within Code chapter 256F (charter schools and innovation zone schools) to a new subchapter II within Code chapter 256E (charter schools —— school board and founding group models). The division also organizes the current Code sections within Code chapter 256E into a new subchapter I. DIVISION II —— FUNDING AND AREA EDUCATION AGENCY SERVICES. Currently, each student enrolled in a charter school under Code chapter 256E, subchapter I, shall be counted, for state school foundation purposes, in the student’s district of residence.8(2)(a). This division adds the teacher salary supplement state cost per pupil to the amount required to be paid to the Code chapter 256E, subchapter I, charter school. This provision applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2026. The division requires area education agencies to provide educational services and media services to students enrolled in Code chapter 256E, subchapter I, charter schools. Additionally, the division authorizes the department of management to deduct both of the following from the state aid due to each school district pursuant to Code chapter 257 (financing school programs) and pay the amounts to the respective area education agencies for purposes of providing services to students enrolled in Code chapter 256E, subchapter I, charter schools within the boundaries of the area education agency: the amount calculated for media services for the school district that is attributable to the number of students enrolled in Code chapter 256E, subchapter I, charter schools within the school district who are provided with media services by an area education agency, and the amount calculated for educational services for the school district that is attributable to the number of students enrolled in Code chapter 256E, subchapter I, charter schools within the school district who are provided with educational services by an area education agency. This provision applies to school budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2026. DIVISION III —— EXTRACURRICULAR INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETIC CONTESTS OR COMPETITIONS PROVIDED BY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.13A (sharing interscholastic activities) with another school district, nonpublic school, or charter school that provides for the eligibility of students enrolled in the charter school to participate in the extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition that is being provided by that school.13A with another school district, nonpublic school, or charter school that provides for the eligibility of students enrolled in the charter school to participate in the extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition that is being provided by that school. The division provides that if the board of directors of a school district has established a fee for the cost of a student’s participation in an extracurricular interscholastic athletic contest or competition, a student who is enrolled in a Code chapter 256E, subchapter I, charter school and is participating in a contest or competition at a public school pursuant to the division’s provisions, or the student’s parent or guardian, shall be responsible for the payment of such fee. The division requires a student who is enrolled in a Code chapter 256E, subchapter I, charter school and is participating in a contest or competition at a public school pursuant to the division’s provisions to participate under the same conditions as a student who is enrolled in the school district, including meeting the school district’s student code of conduct requirements.46 (rules for participation in extracurricular activities by certain children). DIVISION IV —— DRIVER EDUCATION. Current law requires every public school district