2015 Minnesota Statutes

124E.07 BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

Subdivision 1.Initial board of directors.

The operators authorized to organize and operate a school, before entering into a contract or other agreement for professional or other services, goods, or facilities, must establish a board of directors composed of at least five members who are not related parties until a timely election for members of the ongoing charter school board of directors is held according to the school's articles and bylaws under subdivision 4.

Subd. 2.Ongoing board of directors.

The ongoing board must be elected before the school completes its third year of operation. Board elections must be held during the school year but may not be conducted on days when the school is closed for holidays, breaks, or vacations.

Subd. 3.Membership.

(a) The charter school board of directors shall be composed of at least five nonrelated members and include: (1) at least one licensed teacher employed as a teacher at the school or providing instruction under contract between the charter school and a cooperative; (2) at least one parent or legal guardian of a student enrolled in the charter school who is not an employee of the charter school; and (3) at least one interested community member who resides in Minnesota and is not employed by the charter school and does not have a child enrolled in the school. The board may include a majority of teachers described in this paragraph or parents or community members, or it may have no clear majority. The chief financial officer and the chief administrator may only serve as ex-officio nonvoting board members. No charter school employees shall serve on the board other than teachers under clause (1). Contractors providing facilities, goods, or services to a charter school shall not serve on the board of directors of the charter school.

(b) An individual is prohibited from serving as a member of the charter school board of directors if the individual, an immediate family member, or the individual's partner is a full or part owner or principal with a for-profit or nonprofit entity or independent contractor with whom the charter school contracts, directly or indirectly, for professional services, goods, or facilities. An individual is prohibited from serving as a board member if an immediate family member is an employee of the school. A violation of this prohibition renders a contract voidable at the option of the commissioner or the charter school board of directors. A member of a charter school board of directors who violates this prohibition is individually liable to the charter school for any damage caused by the violation.

(c) Any employee, agent, or board member of the authorizer who participates in the initial review, approval, ongoing oversight, evaluation, or the charter renewal or nonrenewal process or decision is ineligible to serve on the board of directors of a school chartered by that authorizer.

(d) An individual may serve as a member of the board of directors if no conflict of interest under paragraph (b) exists.

Subd. 4.Structure of board.

Board bylaws shall outline the process and procedures for changing the board's governance structure, consistent with chapter 317A. A board may change its governance structure only:

(1) by a majority vote of the board of directors and a majority vote of the licensed teachers employed by the school as teachers, including licensed teachers providing instruction under a contract between the school and a cooperative; and

(2) with the authorizer's approval.

Any change in board governance structure must conform with the composition of the board established under this subdivision.

Subd. 5.Eligible voters.

Staff members employed at the school, including teachers providing instruction under a contract with a cooperative, members of the board of directors, and all parents or legal guardians of children enrolled in the school are the voters eligible to elect the members of the school's board of directors. A charter school must notify eligible voters of the school board election dates at least 30 days before the election.

Subd. 6.Duties.

The board of directors also shall decide and be responsible for policy matters related to the operation of the school, including budgeting, curriculum programming, personnel, and operating procedures. The board shall adopt a policy on nepotism in employment. The board shall adopt personnel evaluation policies and practices that, at a minimum:

(1) carry out the school's mission and goals;

(2) evaluate the execution of charter contract goals and commitments;

(3) evaluate student achievement, postsecondary and workforce readiness, and student engagement and connection goals;

(4) establish a teacher evaluation process under section 124E.03, subdivision 2, paragraph (h); and

(5) provide professional development related to the individual's job responsibilities.

Subd. 7.Training.

Every charter school board member shall attend annual training throughout the member's term on the board. All new board members shall attend initial training on the board's role and responsibilities, employment policies and practices, and financial management. A new board member who does not begin the required initial training within six months after being seated and complete that training within 12 months of being seated on the board is automatically ineligible to continue to serve as a board member. The school shall include in its annual report the training attended by each board member during the previous year.

Subd. 8.Meetings and information.

(a) Board of director meetings must comply with chapter 13D.

(b) A charter school shall publish and maintain on the school's official Web site: (1) the minutes of meetings of the board of directors, and of members and committees having any board-delegated authority, for at least one calendar year from the date of publication; (2) directory information for members of the board of directors and committees having board-delegated authority; and (3) identifying and contact information for the school's authorizer. Identifying and contact information for the school's authorizer must be included in other school materials made available to the public.

History:

1991 c 265 art 9 s 3; 1993 c 224 art 9 s 4; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 9 s 2; 1998 c 397 art 2 s 2,164; 1999 c 241 art 5 s 8; 1Sp2001 c 6 art 2 s 20,21; 2009 c 96 art 2 s 41; 1Sp2011 c 11 art 2 s 29; 2012 c 239 art 2 s 10; 2013 c 116 art 4 s 1; 2015 c 21 art 1 s 18; 1Sp2015 c 3 art 4 s 3,10