[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2669 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2669

To provide a model for school districts in the United States using and 
building on the experience of the District of Columbia in establishing 
  fully accountable public alternatives to traditional public schools.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 8, 2003

  Ms. Norton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide a model for school districts in the United States using and 
building on the experience of the District of Columbia in establishing 
  fully accountable public alternatives to traditional public schools.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Model Alternative Publicly 
Accountable Schools Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Because of its extensive use of public charter schools 
        and transformation schools, the District of Columbia has become 
        a leading national model for providing children and parents 
        with alternatives to traditional public schools.
            (2) The District of Columbia has the largest number of 
        public charter schools per capita in the Nation.
            (3) Despite the unavailability of adequate facilities and 
        play areas at the District of Columbia's public charter 
        schools, they have proved a remarkable success. The 
        attractiveness of these schools to parents has increased 
        exponentially, as demonstrated by the extensive wait lists for 
        admission.
            (4) By designating certain low-performing schools as 
        transformation schools and providing these schools with 
        increased resources and specialized attention, the District of 
        Columbia is making a significant difference in the performance 
        of low-income and other children who attend these schools.
            (5) Many school districts have failed to establish charter 
        schools, and many are only beginning to consider removing low-
        performing schools from the procedures applicable to 
        traditional public schools, as the District of Columbia has 
        done in establishing transformation schools from the low-
        performing traditional public schools.
            (6) The District of Columbia experience should be 
        encouraged and further developed so that it can be used by 
        other school districts as a model for offering public school 
        alternatives that provide services similar to the those 
        available to targeted assistance schools under section 1115 of 
        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        6315) and charter schools under part B of title V of that Act 
        (20 U.S.C. 7221 et seq.).

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are the following:
            (1) To provide a model for school districts in the United 
        States using and building on the experience of the District of 
        Columbia in establishing fully accountable public alternatives 
        to traditional public schools.
            (2) To illustrate the range of public education 
        possibilities, including--
                    (A) public transformation schools that focus on 
                providing low-income children and other children from 
                low-performing schools residing in the District of 
                Columbia and their parents with expanded opportunities 
                and enriched resources; and
                    (B) public charter schools in the District of 
                Columbia, for children whose parents so choose.

SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW-INCOME PARENTS IN D.C. TO 
              ENROLL THEIR CHILDREN IN HIGHER-PERFORMING SCHOOLS.

    (a) Public Transformation Schools.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        for public transformation schools in the District of Columbia 
        $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be 
        necessary for each of the succeeding 4 fiscal years, to be used 
        to expand opportunities for students in the District of 
        Columbia to attend such schools and to fund the additional 
        services that are necessary to achieve continued improvements 
        in the performance of the children in these schools.
            (2) Public transformation school defined.--In this 
        subsection, the term ``public transformation school'' means a 
        public elementary or secondary school that--
                    (A) is designated as a transformation school by the 
                Superintendent of the District of Columbia Public 
                Schools; and
                    (B) is eligible for a schoolwide program under 
                section 1114 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
                Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6314) or targeted assistance 
                under section 1115 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 6315).
    (b) Public Charter Schools.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Direct Loan Fund for Charter School Improvement 
(established under section 143(b) of the District of Columbia 
Appropriations Act, 2003 (Public Law 108-7; 117 Stat. 131)) $3,000,000 
for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 
succeeding 4 fiscal years, to be used to expand opportunities for 
students in the District of Columbia to attend public charter schools 
in the District of Columbia.
    (c) Authorizations in Additional to Other Funds.--Any authorization 
of appropriations under this section is in addition to any other 
authorizations of appropriations available for the purposes of this 
Act.

SEC. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOLS RECEIVING ASSISTANCE.

    Not later than 90 days after the end of each academic year, the 
State Education Agency for the District of Columbia shall prepare and 
submit to the Congress and the Mayor and City Council of the District 
of Columbia a report on the progress for the academic year of all of 
the public transformation schools and public charter schools in the 
District that receive funds under this Act.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$15,000,000 for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the succeeding 4 fiscal years.
                                 <all>