![[Table of Contents]](/icons/up.gif){kind=icon}
| State | Teachers | Funding | ||||
| Certification | Pay | Bargaining | Start-up | Facilities | Tech Assistance | |
| Alaska | Required | Existing agreements apply | All existing negotiated or collective bargaining agreements apply to charters | None | Existing school district facility or other facility within district allowed | Not addressed |
| Arizona | Not required | School sets pay | Not required; option of remaining with district or as independent | Organizers can receive up to $100,000 from charter schools stimulus fund | Dept. of Education publishes list of vacant buildings; budget includes $4 million in facilities aid | Not addressed |
| Arkansas | Required | Not addressed | Existing agreements apply | None | N/A; only conversions | Not addressed |
| California | Required | School sets pay | Not required | Established Charter School Revolving Loan Fund | No assistance | Private person or organization can contribute |
| Colorado | Required but may be waived | Terms set in charter | Not required | None | Use of available district facilities rent free | No restrictions |
| Connecticut | At least 50% must be certified; remainder must have temporary certificate or enter alternative route | Not addressed | State charter school governing council acts as board of education for bargaining; local agreements can be modified | None | Not addressed | No restrictions; eligible for competitive state grants |
| Delaware | 35% may be non-certified in years when no qualified alternative certification program exists; currently no such program exists | School sets pay | May bargain as separate | Dept. of Public Instruction to apply for grants to provide planning and start-up of charters and to distribute funds as appropriated by General Assembly | Dept. of Public Instruction must publish list of vacant and unused facilities owned by school districts | No restrictions |
| District of Columbia | Not required | School sets pay | Not required | Based on RFP submitted to district | Preference give to schools established within existing public school facilities | Allowed; must report donations of $500 or more annually |
| Florida | Not required | School sets pay | Optional | None | Charter to receive unused/surplus property on same basis it is made available to other district public schools | Not addressed |
| Georgia | Defined in charter | Defined in charter | Defined in charter | $5,000 planning grant to 10 schools | Not addressed | Not addressed |
| Hawaii | Required | Existing agreements apply | Must adhere to collective bargaining laws | None | N/A; only conversions | Not addressed |
| Idaho | Required. Instructional staff may apply for a waiver or any of the limited certification options as provided by rule of the state board of education | School sets pay | Must be considered a separate unit | None | Not addressed | No restrictions |
| Illinois | Noncertified instructors must meet alternative criteria outlined in law | School sets pay | Not required | None | Conversions may not be required to pay rent for district facilities; all other facility costs are negotiable | No restrictions |
| Kansas | Requires waiver to be specified in law | Existing agreements apply | Part of district unless waiver is specified in charter and granted | None | None | No restrictions |
| Louisiana | 75% of teachers must be certified | Not addressed | District agreement applies unless otherwise agreed to in charter | Louisiana Charter School Loan Fund provides no-interest loans to assist with initial start-up for type 1 or 2 charters, not to exceed $100,000 | Not addressed | No restrictions |
| Massachusetts | Not required except for Horace Mann | School sets pay | May participate as separate bargaining unit | $35,000 per school; state reimburses district for charter | No building assistance fund shall be awarded; school closes over three years | No restrictions |
| Michigan | Required except for full-time, tenured faculty at state college or university sponsoring charter or community college faculty with five years' experience in applicable subject area | School sets pay | Required for schools sponsored by LEA, others as separate unit | None | Not addressed | No restrictions |
| Minnesota | Required | School sets pay | May bargain as separate units unless all parties agree to remain part of district bargaining unit | During first two years of operation eligible start-up aid and additional operation costs equal to greater of $50,000 per charter or $500 times charter's pupil units for that year | May apply for building lease aid, an amount per pupil not to exceed lesser of 80% of approved cost or product of actual pupil units for current school year times the sum of state average dept redemption fun revenue plus capital revenue for current fiscal year | Not addressed |
| Mississippi | Considered employees of school district; same requirements apply (5-10% of staff is exempt) | Existing agreements apply | Remain state employees; right-to-work state | None | Not addressed | No restrictions; may be given special preference by state board when allocating grant funds |
| Nevada | At least 75% must be licensed; unlicensed teachers must be working toward certification | School sets pay unless under existing agreement | Existing agreements apply unless employees of charter, at time of renewal, apply for recognition as separate unit | None | SEA to maintain list of available facilities suitable for operation of charter | Not addressed |
| New Hampshire | 50% of teachers must be certified or have at least three years teaching experience | School sets pay | Teachers may bargain as separate unit or work independently | None | Conversion schools eligible for school building aid | No restrictions |
| New Jersey | Required | Dependent on the charter | Conversion schools subject to district agreements; new charters may opt out | None | None, exempt from public school facility regulations except health and safety | No restrictions |
| New Mexico | Required | Existing agreements apply | Existing agreements apply | None | N/A; only conversions | Not addressed |
| North Carolina | 75% of teachers K-5 and 50% of teachers grades 6-12 must be certified | School sets pay | Not subject to work unless LEA-sponsored or waiver requested | None | Cannot use state board funds on purchase of land or buildings | Not addressed |
| Ohio | No uncertified teacher can teach over 12 hours per week | Existing agreements apply | May organize as separate bargaining unit; conversions bound by existing agreement and can vote to separate when agreement expires | Planning and start-up grants available in Lucas County only | None | Not addressed |
| Pennsylvania | At least 75% must be certified | School sets pay | Must organize as separate bargaining unit | Secretary of Education allocates funds for planning and start-up; temporary financial assistance available to districts for losses attributed to charter transfers and new students from nonpublic schools; fund will lapse on June 30, 1999 | May not use public funds to build facility waived from certain state regulations for public school facilities | No restrictions |
| Rhode Island | Required | Teachers remain employees of school district for salaries and benefits | Remain members of collective bargaining unit for teachers in school district | None | None | No restrictions |
| South Carolina | 25% of staff in new school may be noncertified; 10% in conversion school | School sets pay | Not required | None | Dept. of Education must publish list of vacant buildings owned by the state or school districts | No restrictions |
| Texas | Required for conversions; start-ups can set employee requirements | Not addressed | Not required | None | No assistance | Not addressed |
| Utah | Required or, on the basis of demonstrated competency, would qualify to teach under alternative certification or authorization programs | School sets pay | Not required | The State Superintendent of Public Instruction may allocate grants for start-up costs from monies appropriated from the implementation of the act | State Office of Education must publish and make available a list of vacant and unused portions of buildings that are owned by the state or school district | No restrictions; cannot demand or request any donation from a parent, teacher employee, or other person affiliated with the charter as a condition for employment at the school for continued attendance |
| Virginia | Required | Existing agreements apply | Existing agreements apply | None | Not addressed | Allowed; no gift, donation, or grant shall be accepted by the management committee of a charter school if conditions for such funds are contrary to law or the terms of the agreement between the local board and the charter school |
| Wisconsin | Required | Not addressed | Not required | None | None | Not addressed |
| Wyoming | Required | Existing agreements apply | Remain employees of district | None | None | Allowed if LEA determines aid is compatible with district |
[Endnotes]
This page was last updated January 9, 2002 (jca)