From the ECS State Policy Database Choice of Schools--Magnet or Specialized Schools

This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. State Status/Date Level Summary AK Adopted 05/2013 P-12 District-Operated Statewide Residential Educational Programs 4 AAC 33.090 Allows for a district to apply during a period of open application for approval to operate a variable-term statewide residential educational program that will house students for the entire school calendar. Requires the minimum term for each student to be at le... More... AK Signed into law 04/2013 P-12 District Operated Boarding Schools S.B. 47 Amends existing legislation so that a district can operate a district-wide residential school and receive a boarding stipend as reimbursement for that said school provided that food services and a variable or 180 day school term is in effect. Funding per-pupil... More... NM Signed into law 04/2013 P-12 Equalization Guarantee at School for the Arts S.B. 164 From bill analysis: Amends the New Mexico school for the arts act to allow the use of public funds, but prohibit the use of state equalization guarantee distributions, for outreach activities and student room and board costs. http://www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/13... More... OH Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 District Sale or Lease of Property or Facilities S.B. 316 - District Sale or Lease of Property or Facilities Authorizes a board of education to sell real or personal property to certain to a nonprofit institution of higher education or the governing authority of a nonpublic school. Prior to disposing of real property, requires the district to first offer the property... More... OH Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 Removal of College-Preparatory Boarding School Board of Trustees Member S.B. 316 - Removal of College-Preparatory Boarding School Board of Trustees Member Permits the governor, operator, or any other person or entity who appoints a member to the board of trustees of a college-preparatory boarding school to remove that member from the board at any time. Pages 237-238 of 592: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/Bil... More... LA Signed into law 06/2012 P-12 International Language Immersion School at ULL S.B. 712 Creates an exploratory committee to develop a plan regarding the creation and establishment of an international language immersion school at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Directs the committee to study specified issues regarding the opening of such... More... LA Passed 06/2012 P-12 Funding for Laboratory Schools Around the State S.C.R. 137 Urges and request the legislative fiscal office to update the report issued in March 2006 pursuant to House Resolution No. 133 of the 2005 Regular Session regarding the means and methods used to provide funding for the operation of laboratory schools around th... More... WA Signed into law 03/2012 P-12 Lighthouse School Programs S.B. 6041 Allows elementary schools to serve as lighthouse programs. Creates the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education lighthouse account. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2011-12/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/Senate/6041-S.SL.pdf... More... OH Signed into law 12/2011 P-12 College-Preparatory Boarding School Program H.B. 157 - College-Preparatory Boarding School Program Repeals provision requiring any board of trustees of a college-preparatory boarding school to secure at least $20 million dollars of private money to satisfy its share of facilities acquisition to be eligible for state assistance (under new revisions, some boa... More... CT Signed into law 07/2011 P-12 Data Collection Requirements/Charter Schools S.B. 1039 State Education Resource Center - Clarifies the status of the State Education Resource Center as a nonstock corporation and nonprofit tax exempt organization within the Department of Education. Health Assessment - Allows certain medical professionals from mi... More... OH Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 Background Checks at Certain Schools H.B. 153 - Background Checks at Certain Schools Requires that staff at a nonpublic school participating in the Jon Peterson special needs scholarship program or at a college-preparatory boarding school undergo criminal background checks. Permits the chief administrator of a registered private provider parti... More... OH Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 College-Preparatory Boarding Schools H.B. 153 - College-Preparatory Boarding Schools Creates chapter 3318 regarding college preparatory boarding schools. Defines an eligible student as a student who is entitled to attend school in a participating school district; is at risk of academic failure; is from a family whose income is below 200% of th... More... FL Signed into law 06/2011 P-12 College-Preparatory Boarding Academy Pilot Program S.B. 404 From Legislative Staff Summary: Creates the College-Preparatory Boarding Academy Pilot Program (Academy) for at-risk students. Defines the key elements of the program and establishes "at-risk" student eligibility criteria consistent with eligibility standards ... More... NE Signed into law 04/2011 P-12 Focus Programs or Magnet Schools L.B. 558 Amends current law relating to focus schools, focus programs and magnet schools established by school districts in a learning community. Clarifies that one or more school districts collaborating on a focus program, focus school or magnet school that is part of... More... OK Signed into law 06/2010 P-12 Empowered Schools and School Districts Act S.B. 2330 Creates the empowered schools and school districts act. Allows a public school, zone, or district to submit empowerment plans to the state board. Plans must include information such as: 1. A statement of the mission of the school, zone, or district and why d... More... TN Signed into law 05/2010 P-12 Choice of Schools in Memphis H.J.R. 781 A resolution directing the Department of Education to study student access to optional schools and programs in Memphis City Schools and the possibility of implementation and expansion of such optional programs to every school within the district. Report is due... More... CT Signed into law 05/2010 P-12 Innovation Schools S.B. 438 - Sec. 6 Permits a board of education for a priority school district to, through agreement with the organizations designated or elected as the exclusive representatives of the teachers' and administrators' units, convert an existing public school into an innovation sch... More... OR Signed into law 06/2009 P-12 School for the Blind H.B. 2834 Directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to close the State School for the Blind by a specified date; abolishes the school's Board of Directors; requires the development of individual comprehensive transition plans for students attending the school; re... More... OK Signed into law 05/2009 P-12 Oklahoma School for the Visual and Performing Arts H.B. 1737 Creates the Oklahoma School for the Visual and Performing Arts; provides for a board of trustees; provides for appointment of board; defines terms; states terms, powers and duties of board; provides for filling of vacancies; provides for travel reimbursement; ... More... IL Signed into law 08/2008 P-12 Assorted Amendments to the School Code S.B. 2482 Repeals the Professional Development Block Grant. Amends requirements related to annual census for special education, such that census must include students age 3 to 21 (rather than birth to 21) receiving special education services. Eliminates requirement that... More... LA Signed into law 07/2008 P-12 New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts/Riverfront H.B. 1069 Requires the board of the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts/Riverfront (NOCCA) to develop a plan to enter into cooperative agreements to provide educational services to students in a specified parish, in which school systems specifically request the boa... More... OK Signed into law 05/2008 P-12 State School of Science and Mathematics H.B. 2310 Relates to the State School of Science and Mathematics; requires budgeting in certain categories and amounts; requires performance measures; limits the salary of the Director; provides budgetary limitations; provides that students who are enrolled in a consoli... More... KS Signed into law 04/2008 P-12 Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science S.B. 404 Provides that the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science (KAMS) may admit nonresident students. Requires KAMS students to pay those fees regularly charged high school students. Provides that tuition and fees charged to nonresident students may exceed the am... More... TX Signed into law 07/2007 P-12 Postsec. Texas Governor's Schools H.B. 1748 House Bill 1748 amends the Education Code to transfer all powers and duties relating to the Texas governor's schools program from the Texas Education Agency and the commissioner of education to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.  The bill also expa... More... OK Signed into law 06/2007 P-12 School of Science and Mathematics S.B. 194 Relates to the School of Science and Mathematics; requires budgeting in certain categories and amounts; requires certain performance measures; provides for duties and compensation of employees; limits salary of the Director; provides budgetary limitations. htt... More... IN Signed into law 05/2007 P-12 Postsec. Speciality Schools S.B. 526 (omnibus) - Article 24.5 Authorizes the board of trustees of Ball State University, Indiana State University, Indiana University or Purdue University to establish a university-administered school in any county in Indiana in which the institution is situated. Allows a district board to... More... KS Signed into law 04/2006 P-12 Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science S.B. 139 Establishes the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science as either: (1) An accelerated residential, or on-line distance learning program for Kansas high school-age pupils who are academically talented in science and mathematics; or (2) a rigorous, two-year ... More... TX Signed into law 06/2005 P-12 Postsec. Texas Academy for Mathematics and Science Studies S.B. 1452 From bill analysis: S.B. 1452 establishes the Texas Academy for Mathematics and Science Studies (academy) at The University of Texas at Brownville (UT-Brownsville) to provide high school students with the opportunity to pursue mathematics education. Students... More... CT Signed into law 03/2005 P-12 Educational Cost Sharing Distribution Technical Error H.B. 6489 Corrects a technical error in educational cost sharing distribution and enables the provision of existing funds to interdistrict magnet schools. http://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/act/Pa/2005PA-00002-R00HB-06489-PA.htm... More... LA Signed into law 06/2004 P-12 Fees for Louisiana School of Math, Science, and the Arts H.B. 431 Increases certain fees imposed by the board of directors of the state school of math, science, and the arts. Increases maximum possible security deposit from $100 to $150; increases maximum possible room and board fee for summer session from $300 to $400 per ... More... OK Signed into law 06/2003 P-12 The Oklahoma School Of Science And Mathematics S.B. 26 Relates to the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics; makes an appropriation; states purpose; provides for the budgeting of funds in certain categories and amounts; requires performance measures for budget categories; provides for duties and compensation ... More... CT Signed into law 09/2002 P-12 State Expenditures (various sections) H.B. 6004 (Special Session Act No. 02-7 Requires interdistrict magnet schools that begin operations after July 1, 2005 to limit the percentage of students from one district that enroll to 75% and requires students of racial minority to comprise at least 25% and not more than 75% of school's enrollme... More... OK Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 School of Science and Mathematics S.B. 1004 Relates to the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics; provides for the budgeting of funds in certain categories and amounts; requires performance measures for budget categories; provides for duties and compensation of employees of the Oklahoma School of S... More... FL Signed into law 05/2002 P-12 Education Code Re-Write: Developmental Research (Laboratory) Schools S.B. 20E Changes name of "Developmental Research Schools" to "Lab Schools." According to legislative document: "LLC members decided to change advisory board faculty membership and add a student member; LLC members decided to allow other colleges within university to pa... More... AL Signed into law 04/2002 P-12 Board of Trustees of AL High School of Mathematics and Science H.B. 289 Relates to the membership of the Board of Trustees of the state High School of Mathematics and Science; provides that the Assistant State Superintendent of Education in charge of curriculum development, the Chairman of the House Standing Committee on Ways and ... More...