Grants priority to charter school applicants with a board of trustees and school administrators that are at least fifty-one percent minority group members.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A7500
SPONSOR: Cunningham
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to granting priority to
charter school applicants with a board of trustees and school adminis-
trators that are at least fifty-one percent minority group members
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To promote equity in access to leadership among charter schools for
members of historically underserved communities by requiring that prior-
ity be granted for charters issued or reissued to applicant schools that
will be managed and led by at least 51% minority group members
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 states that for any charter issued or reissued on and after
July 1, 2023, the Board of Regents. and the Board of Trustees of SUNY
shall grant priority to any applicant that demonstrates that its charter
school will be managed by a board and administrators in which at least
51% are minority group members as defined in executive law.
Section 2 provides for an immediate effective date.
 
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
N/A
 
JUSTIFICATION:
For generations, communities of color have suffered from inequities in
the education system, particularly Black and Brown communities. This
program will offer expanded opportunities to members of these histor-
ically underserved communities to open and operate public charter
schools. Education is the foundation of the future of our children's
lives and of the communities in which they live and learn. Great
schools are important to building great communities. This legislation
would grant priority for new charters and reissued zombie charters to
applicants with a board of trustees and school administrators that are
at least 51% minority group members. This initiative will make clear
that New York State supports and encourages members of historically
disadvantaged communities to open and operate schools.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7500
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 25, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CUNNINGHAM -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to granting priority to
charter school applicants with a board of trustees and school adminis-
trators that are at least fifty-one percent minority group members
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 9-a of section 2852 of the education law is
2 amended by adding a new paragraph (c-1) to read as follows:
3 (c-1) For any charter issued or reissued on and after July first, two
4 thousand twenty-three, the board of regents and the board of trustees of
5 the state university of New York shall grant priority to any applicant
6 that demonstrates that its charter school will be managed by a board of
7 trustees and school administrators in which at least fifty-one percent
8 of such board of trustees and school administrators are minority group
9 members as such term is defined in article fifteen-A of the executive
10 law.
11 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11415-01-3