HB 1712 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-2885
12/09
HOUSE BILL 1712
AN ACT relative to charter conversion schools.
SPONSORS: Rep. Noble, Hills. 2
COMMITTEE: Education Policy and Administration
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ANALYSIS
This bill codifies charter conversion schools within a separate section of statute, and amends the establishment, funding, and auditing requirements relative to charter and charter conversion schools.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
26-2885
12/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
AN ACT relative to charter conversion schools.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Charter Conversion Public Schools. Amend RSA 194-B by inserting after section 3-a the following new section:
194-B:3-b Charter Conversion Public Schools.
I. "Charter conversion school" means a public school which has been authorized to become a chartered public school. That school shall continue to be managed by the school board until and unless fully authorized to become a chartered public school in accordance with the provisions of RSA 194-B:3 with the exception of RSA 194-B:3, IV(a).
II. The process for becoming a charter conversion school shall include that:
(a) Any existing public school may by a vote of the school board and a 2/3 majority vote taken by the school district at a regular annual meeting pursuant to RSA 195, RSA 197, or the governing charter, called for the purpose and provided that an article is inserted in the warrant for said meeting to become a charter conversion school.
(b) All pupils attending a school which successfully converts to charter status shall be eligible for admission to such chartered public school.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a school district's obligation to provide special education services to all qualifying students residing in the district consistent with the requirements of state and federal law.
(d) No greater than 25 percent of the membership of a school board, or one member, whichever number is greater, may simultaneously serve as members of the board of trustees of a charter or charter conversion school. No greater than 25 percent of the membership of the board of trustees of a charter or charter conversion school, or one member, whichever is greater, may simultaneously serve as members of any school board. A chartered public school board of trustees shall include no fewer than 25 percent or 2 parents of pupils attending the chartered public school, whichever is greater. Teachers of a chartered public school may serve on its board of trustees.
III. Charter conversion school funding shall be as specified in RSA 194-B:11.
2 Charter Conversion School Definition. Amend RSA 194-B:1, V to read as follows:
V. "Charter conversion school" means a public school which has been authorized to become a chartered public school. That school continues to be managed by the school board until and unless fully authorized to become a chartered public school in accordance with the provisions of RSA 194-B:3, with the exception of RSA 194-B:3, IV(a).
3 Chartered Public Schools; Establishment. Amend RSA 194-B:2, I to read as follows:
I. Any school district legislative body may vote to [designate] convert one or more of its schools as a chartered public school as defined in RSA 194-B:1, pursuant to RSA 194-B:3, VI.
4 Ratification of Charter School Contracts. Amend RSA 194-B:3, III(e) to read as follows:
(e) The state board shall submit 2 copies of the approved contract to the clerk of the school district who shall make the contract available for inspection by the voters of the school district. The school board shall submit a warrant article to the school district legislative body for ratification or denial without amendment. The ratification question shall be placed on the warrant of the next special or annual school district meeting and shall take the following form:
"Shall the district raise and appropriate the necessary funds and ratify the proposed contract between the __________ chartered public school and the __________ school district, for a period of 5 years for initial [adoption or] charter approval and thereafter for a period of [7] 5 years for renewal, with a first year annual appropriation of $ ___ per student not to exceed $ ___ which shall be approved by the voters in the district operating budget? The first year total financial impact of a 'yes' vote on this question is estimated by the school board at $ ___ .
_________ Yes _________ No"
In districts without annual meetings, the legislative body shall have final authority to ratify or deny the state board approved contract. A ratified contract grants final authority for the chartered public school to operate for the life of its contract and to receive school district funds.
5 New Subparagraph; School District Eligibility to Apply. Amend RSA 194-B:3, V by inserting after subparagraph (c) the following new subparagraph:
(d) A New Hampshire public school district.
6 Chartered Public School Program Audits Limited. Amend RSA 194-B:10, III to read as follows:
III. To ensure compliance with its application and contract and applicable law, a chartered public school shall be subject to a first year program audit by the department of education or its agent, and shall be subject to a program audit [by the department of education at least once every 3 years thereafter] after the chartered public school's third year of operation.
7 Charter Conversion School Funding. Amend RSA 194-B:11, I(a) to read as follows:
(a) There shall be no tuition charge for any [pupil] resident of the state attending a charter [conversion] school [located in that pupil's resident district] except as authorized in this section for district approved charter schools receiving tuition from their resident district school. [Funding limitations in this chapter shall not be applicable to charter conversion schools located in a pupil's resident district.] For a chartered public school authorized by the school district, the pupil's resident district shall pay to such school an amount equal to not less than 80 percent of that district's average cost per pupil as determined by the department of education using the most recent available data as reported by the district to the department. For a resident pupil attending the district approved charter school, the student shall be included in the district adequacy ADMR for the purpose of calculating district adequacy pursuant to RSA 198:40-a and distribution of state funding according to RSA 198:42. For pupils resident in this state who attend full-time a chartered public school authorized by a school district other than the pupil's resident school district, the state shall pay tuition amounts pursuant to RSA 198:40-a directly to the chartered public school for such pupil in the chartered public school's ADMA. Nothing in this subparagraph shall alter or modify the funding of the Virtual Learning Academy Charter School.
8 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Dec. 12, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to Education Policy and Administration HJ 1