Sec. 556.

(1) A school of excellence may be located in all or part of an existing public school building. A school of excellence, other than a cyber school operated under section 553a, shall not operate at a site other than the site or sites requested for the configuration of age or grade levels that will use the site or sites, as specified in the contract. Under a contract, an authorizing body may permit a school of excellence to operate the same configuration of age or grade levels at more than 1 site, and a school of excellence may operate the same configuration of age or grade levels at more than 1 site, as long as the school of excellence is operating in compliance with its contract and is making measurable progress toward meeting its educational goals. For a contract for a new school of excellence, an authorizing body may permit a school of excellence to operate the same configuration of age or grade levels at more than 1 site, and a school of excellence may operate the same configuration of age or grade levels at more than 1 site, if the applicant for the proposed school of excellence presents documentation to the authorizing body demonstrating that the applicant's proposed educational model has resulted in schools making measurable progress toward meeting their educational goals.

(2) A school of excellence shall not charge tuition and shall not discriminate in its pupil admissions policies or practices on the basis of intellectual or athletic ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, status as a student with a disability, or any other basis that would be illegal if used by a school district. However, a school of excellence may limit admission to pupils who are within a particular range of age or grade level or on any other basis that would be legal if used by a school district and may give enrollment priority as provided in subsection (4).

(3) Except for a foreign exchange student who is not a United States citizen, a school of excellence shall not enroll a pupil who is not a resident of this state. For a school of excellence authorized by a school district, intermediate school district, or community college, enrollment in the school of excellence may be open to all individuals who reside in this state who meet the admission policy and shall be open to all pupils who reside within the geographic boundaries of that authorizing body who meet the admission policy, except that admission to a school of excellence authorized by the board of a community college to operate, or operated by the board of a community college, on the grounds of a federal military installation, as described in section 552(6)(c), shall be open to all pupils who reside in the county in which the federal military installation is located. For a school of excellence authorized by a state public university, enrollment shall be open to all pupils who reside in this state who meet the admission policy. If there are more applications to enroll in the school of excellence than there are spaces available, pupils shall be selected to attend using a random selection process. A school of excellence shall allow any pupil who was enrolled in the school of excellence in the immediately preceding school year to enroll in the school of excellence in the appropriate grade unless the appropriate grade is not offered at that school of excellence.

(4) A school of excellence may give enrollment priority to 1 or more of the following:

(a) A sibling of a pupil enrolled in the school of excellence.

(b) A pupil who transfers to the school of excellence from another public school pursuant to a matriculation agreement between the school of excellence and another public school that provides for this enrollment priority, if all of the following requirements are met:

(i) Each school of excellence or other public school that enters into the matriculation agreement remains a separate and independent public school.

(ii) The school of excellence that gives the enrollment priority selects at least 5% of its pupils for enrollment using a random selection process.

(iii) The matriculation agreement allows any pupil who was enrolled at any time during elementary school in a public school that is party to the matriculation agreement and who was not expelled from the public school to enroll in the school of excellence giving enrollment priority under the matriculation agreement.

(c) A child of a person who is employed by or at the school of excellence or who is on the board of directors of the school of excellence. As used in this subdivision, "child" includes an adopted child or a legal ward.

(5) Subject to subsection (6), a school of excellence may include any grade up to grade 12 or any configuration of those grades, including kindergarten and early childhood education, as specified in its contract. If specified in its contract, a school of excellence may also operate an adult basic education program, adult high school completion program, or general education development testing preparation program. The authorizing body may approve amendment of a contract with respect to ages of pupils or grades offered.

(6) In addition to any other grade levels it operates, a school of excellence shall work toward operating all of grades 9 to 12 within 6 years after it begins operations, unless a matriculation agreement has been reached with another public school that provides grades 9 to 12.

(7) If a school of excellence is a cyber school and its authorizing body is a school district or intermediate school district, the school of excellence shall give enrollment priority to pupils who reside in the school district or intermediate school district that is the authorizing body.

History: Add. 2009, Act 205, Imd. Eff. Jan. 4, 2010 ;-- Am. 2011, Act 277, Eff. Mar. 28, 2012 Popular Name: Act 451