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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="9-104" title_number="9" title_name="Maryland Public Charter School Program" subtitle_number="1">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>An application to establish a public charter school shall be submitted to the county board of the county in which the public charter school will be located.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An application to establish a public charter school may be submitted to a county board by:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>The staff of a public school;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A parent or guardian of a student who attends a public school in the county;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>A nonsectarian nonprofit entity;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>A nonsectarian institution of higher education in the State; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Any combination of persons specified in items (i) through (iv) of this paragraph.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>An application shall include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A plan to provide a rigorous program of instruction that includes an equivalent method for satisfying any requirements from which the public charter school operator intends to seek a waiver under § 9–106 of this title; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A description of how a weighted lottery or the provision of guaranteed placement will be implemented under §§ 9–102.2 and 9–102.3 of this title.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>A public chartering authority may not grant a charter under this title to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>A private school;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>A parochial school;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>A home school; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>A school that operates fully online.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Except as provided in subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the county board shall review the application and render a decision within 120 days of receipt of the application and in accordance with the application procedures adopted by the county board.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>For a restructured school:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>The county board shall review the application and render a decision within 30 days of receipt of the application;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>The county board may apply to the State Board for an extension of up to 15 days from the time limit imposed under item 1 of this subparagraph;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>If an extension is not granted, and 30 days have elapsed, the decision may be appealed to the State Board in accordance with § 4–205(c) of this article; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="4">
          <text>If an extension has been granted, and 45 days have elapsed, the decision may be appealed to the State Board in accordance with § 4–205(c) of this article.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <level label="i">
        <text>A public chartering authority may approve an application to operate a public charter school on a contingent basis subject to the conditions of subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The contingent approval granted under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph may be contingent on:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>A public charter school’s ability to meet any timelines established by the public chartering authority for the securing of a facility; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>Final approval by the public chartering authority regarding the suitability of the facility secured by the public charter school.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If an application to establish a public charter school includes a description of the implementation of a weighted lottery that gives priority to students in a specific geographic attendance area in accordance with § 9–102.2 or § 9–102.3 of this title, the public chartering authority may approve or reject this provision separately from the application as a whole.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A decision of a public chartering authority under paragraph (1) of this subsection may not be appealed to the State Board.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>An application to establish a public charter school may include a staffing model, including provisions for staff recruitment, training, evaluation, and professional development.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A public charter school may submit a staffing model as provided in paragraph (1) of this subsection with a renewal application or with an amendment to an existing charter.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If the county board denies an application to establish a public charter school, the applicant may appeal the decision to the State Board, in accordance with § 4–205(c) of this article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The State Board shall render a decision within 120 days of the filing of an appeal under this subsection.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>If the county board denies an application to establish a public charter school and the State Board reverses the decision, the State Board shall remand the matter to the county board and may direct the county board to grant a charter and may, if necessary, mediate with the county board and the applicant to implement the charter.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
