NOTE: The governor signed this measure on 6/6/2014.
      
      
      HOUSE BILL 14-1381
      
      
      BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Fields, Buckner, Duran, Ginal, Hamner,
      Labuda, Lebsock, May, McCann, Melton, Moreno, Pabon, Pettersen,
      Salazar, Schafer, Singer, Exum, Hullinghorst, Ryden, Williams, Young,
      Rosenthal, Tyler;
      also SENATOR(S) Todd, Nicholson, Zenzinger.
      
      
      Concerning adoption of a school closure plan as a requirement
           for closing a low-performing public school.
      
      
      Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
      
           SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-11-307, add (5) as
      follows:
      
           22-11-307.  Accreditation of public schools. (5) (a)  If a local
      school board or the institute decides or is directed by the state
      board to close a public school because of low performance, the
      school district and the institute must develop and update as
      necessary a school closure plan that implements evidence-based
      best practices during the school closure process to ensure that
      students who are enrolled in the public school that is closed are
      fully supported in enrolling in the successor public school, if
      any, or in another public school. The local school board or the
      institute shall make the school closure plan and any updates
      available in writing to the staff of the public school, the local
      teachers association, if any, the parents of students enrolled in
      the public school, and the community surrounding the public
      school. At a minimum, the school closure plan must include:
      
           (I)  A plan for communicating in writing with parents,
      school staff, the local teachers association, if any, and the
      community surrounding the public school as early as possible
      after the local school board or the institute decides to close the
      public school and at regular intervals throughout the closure
      process;
      
           (II)  The procedures or mechanisms by which the local
      school board and the institute will solicit and consider input on
      the school closure process from the staff of the public school,
      the local teachers association, if any, the parents of the students
      enrolled in the public school, and the community surrounding the
      public school;
      
           (III)  A timeline for closing the public school that includes
      or is updated to include all major steps and decision points in
      completing the school closure and starts no later than the
      decision to close and continues at least through the
      reassignment of students and the opening of a new public school,
      if applicable; and
      
           (IV)  A plan for reassigning students to other public
      schools, which must, to the fullest extent practicable, take into
      account parents' choice concerning the public schools to which
      students are reassigned.
      
           (b)  Notwithstanding any provision of paragraph (a) of this
      subsection (5) to the contrary, a school closure plan that applies
      to the closure of an institute charter school must specify that:
      
           (I)  The institute charter school will communicate directly
      with parents, school staff, and the surrounding community; and
      
           (II)  The institute and the institute charter school will
      work with the school district in which the institute charter
      school is located to ensure that students and their parents have
      information concerning the school district's processes for
      reassigning students to public schools and the school choice
      options that are available to the students and their parents.
      
           SECTION 2.  Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,
      determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate
      preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.
      
      
      
      
      ________________________________________________________
      Mark Ferrandino                        Morgan Carroll
      SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE                     PRESIDENT OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
      
      
      ____________________________  ____________________________
      Marilyn Eddins                      Cindi L. Markwell
      CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE                 SECRETARY OF
      OF REPRESENTATIVES                         THE SENATE
      
      
      
      
                  APPROVED________________________________________
      
      
      
      
      
                                    _________________________________________
                                    John W. Hickenlooper
                                    GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO