Collins’ plan requiring charter schools to disclose criminal investigations becomes law

  SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago 16^th) hailed the governor’s signing of legislation she sponsored to require organizations that seek to open charter schools in Illinois to disclose any ongoing criminal or civil investigations into their activities.

 

“Charter schools are funded primarily with public money, so it is important to hold them to high standards and subject new proposals to the highest possible degree of scrutiny,” Collins said. “Ongoing investigations should be a part of the picture when local school districts evaluate charter applications, and we are ensuring that districts have all the information they need to make prudent decisions for families and taxpayers.”

 

Last year, Collins sponsored laws that promoted fairness and transparency in the charter school lottery process, prevented cronyism in charter management and ended the practice of charters collecting public funds to educate students who return to traditional public schools partway through the school year.

 

“School choice should be informed choice – for parents but also for districts examining charter school applications,” Collins said. “This new law will help prevent the misuse of public money before it occurs.”

 

The disclosure requirement applies to the organization submitting the proposal as well as any member of its governing body.

 

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