§302D-19 School closure and dissolution. (a) Prior to any public charter school closure decision, an authorizer shall have developed a public charter school closure protocol to ensure timely notification to parents, orderly transition of students and student records to new schools, and proper disposition of school funds, property, and assets in accordance with the requirements of this chapter. The protocol shall specify tasks, timelines, and responsible parties, including delineating the respective duties of the school and the authorizer. In the event of a public charter school closure for any reason, the authorizer shall oversee and work with the closing school to ensure a smooth and orderly closure and transition for students and parents, as guided by the closure protocol.
(b) In the event of a public charter school closure for any reason, the assets of the school, excluding facilities, shall be distributed first to satisfy outstanding payroll obligations for employees of the school, then to creditors of the school, and then to the state treasury to the credit of the general fund. If the assets of the school are insufficient to pay all parties to whom the school owes compensation, the prioritization of the distribution of assets may be determined by decree of a court of law.
(c) In the event of a public charter school closure for any reason, if the public charter school received an appropriation for capital improvements to its facilities, the charter school or its authorizer shall negotiate with the expending agency for a lump sum or installment repayment to the State of the amounts appropriated. This restriction shall be registered, recorded, and indexed in the bureau of conveyances or with the assistant registrar of the land court as an encumbrance on the property. Amounts received from the repayment under this subsection shall be deposited into the general fund.
(d) In the event of a public charter school closure for any reason, other public charter schools shall have the right of first refusal for the closed public charter school's facilities, if the facilities are owned by the State. If no other public charter school exercises the right of first refusal, the facilities shall revert back to the department and the State. [L 2012, c 130, pt of §2]