Senator FANNING proposed the following amendment (WAB\208C008.RT.WAB21):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, SECTION 1, by striking Section 59-19-350(A) and inserting:

/ SECTION 1. Section 59-19-350(A) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 59-19-350.(A) (1)A local school district board of trustees of this State desirous of creating an avenue for new, innovative, and more flexible ways of educating children within their district, may create a school schools of choice innovation within the district that is are exempt from state statutes which govern other schools in the district and regulations promulgated by the State Board of Education.

(2)To achieve the status of exemption from specific statutes and regulations, the local board of trustees, at a public meeting, first shall:

(a) identify specific statutes and regulations which will be considered for exemption;

(b) disclose the financial model to be used.

(3)The exemption then may be granted by the governing board of the district, but only if there is a two-thirds affirmative vote of the board for each exemption, and subsequently, the proposed exemption is approved by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the State Board of Education.

(4) Each school of innovation annually before July first shall:

(a) demonstrate compliance with the financial model identified in subitem (2)(b);

(b) provide full financial statements detailing how it receives and expends funds; and

(c) report academic achievement of its students as indicated by the performance of their students on the same assessments and matrices required of all other public schools, based on grade level.

(5) Nothing in this section permits a local school district board of trustees to relinquish control or oversight of the schools created pursuant to this section, and the local school district board must ensure transparent and timely reporting of fiscal and academic performance for each school of innovation." /