OAR 581-026-0065: Appeal Process (Proposals to School Districts)

(1) An applicant or tribal applicant whose resubmitted proposal to start a public charter school is disapproved following reconsideration may request the State Board of Education review the decision of the school district board within 30 days of the disapproval. (2) The State Board of Education delegates to the Director of the Oregon Department of Education or the director's designee all administrative functions necessary or reasonable in order to conduct review. This delegation to the director or the director's designee includes, but is not limited to: (a) Determining the form, contents and timelines of the petition for review; (b) Determining the records required for review and ordering the production of those records from either the applicant or school district board and establishing timelines for the production of those records; (c) Requiring the applicant, or tribal applicant, or school district board to respond to written or oral inquiries related to board review; and (d) Determining at any time during the review process to reject a review request if in the judgment of the director or the director's designee, the applicant fails to reasonably comply with the administrative review processes of the Director of the Oregon Department of Education or the director's designee. (3) The director or the director's designee may review the decision only to determine whether: (a) The school district board used the process required OAR 581-026-0060; and (b) The proposal meets the criteria described in OAR 581-026-0060 (1); and (c) The reasons stated by the school district board for the denial are valid and align with the criteria described in OAR 581-026-0060 (1). (4) Following a review described in (9), the State Board of Education may: (a) Uphold the decision of the school district board to disapprove the resubmitted proposal; (b) Remand the resubmitted proposal to the school district board for reconsideration if the school district board and the applicant or tribal applicant agree to the remand; or (c) Consider becoming the sponsor of the public charter school if the applicant agrees to the sponsorship. (5) At the conclusion of the administrative review process the director or the director's designee shall recommend in writing to the State Board to: (a) Uphold the decision of the school district board to disapproved the resubmitted proposal; or (b) Remand the resubmitted proposal to the school district board for reconsideration if the school district board and the applicant or tribal applicant agree to the remand; or (c) Sponsor the public charter school upon the terms in the proposal or upon such other terms specified. (6)(a) The State Board will consider the recommendation of the director or the director's designee and any other information it deems relevant and determine based on the requirements of ORS 338 to have the State Board sponsor the public charter school. (b) If the State Board decides to consider the recommendation of the director or the director's designee to sponsor the public charter school, the State Board will complete a rigorous evaluation of the proposal as defined in State Board policy. (7) The decision of the State Board to uphold the school district board decision to disapproved the resubmitted proposal will be based on substantial evidence in the record and will be made within 75 days of receipt by the State Board of the director’s or the director's designee’s recommendation, unless extended for good cause. (8) An applicant or tribal applicant may seek judicial review of an order of the State Board of Education pursuant to ORS 183.484.