(a)

1. (1) Any public school district may apply to the authorizer for conversion public charter school status for a public school in the public school district in accordance with a schedule approved by the State Board of Education.
2. (2) The authorizer shall not approve an application for conversion public charter school status that has not first been approved by the school district’s board of directors.

(b) A public school district’s application for conversion public charter school status for the public school may include, without limitation, the following purposes:

1. (1) Adopting research-based school or instructional designs, or both, that focus on improving student and school performance, which may include without limitation the implementation of a community school plan as defined by Arkansas Code § 6-15-3002;
2. (2) Addressing school improvement status resulting from sanctions listed in Arkansas Code §§ 6-15-207(c)(8) and 6-15-2915; or

3. (3) Partnering with other public school districts or public schools to address students’ needs in:

   1. (A) A geographical location; or
   2. (B) Multiple locations.

(c) An application for a conversion public charter school shall:

1. (1) Describe the results of a public hearing called by the local school board for the purpose of assessing support of an application for conversion public charter school status;

2. (2) Notice of the public hearing shall be:

   1. (A) Distributed to the community, licensed personnel, and the parents of all students enrolled at the public school for which the public school district initiated the application; and
   2. (B) Published in a newspaper having general circulation in the public school district at least three (3) weeks prior to the date of the meeting;

3. (3) Describe a plan for school improvement that addresses how the conversion public charter school will:

   1. (A) Improve student learning; and
   2. (B) Meet the state education goals;

4. (4) Outline proposed performance criteria that will be used during the initial five-year period of the charter to measure the progress of the conversion public charter school in:

   1. (A) Improving student learning; and
   2. (B) Meeting or exceeding the state education goals;

5. (5) Describe how the licensed employees and parents of the students to be enrolled in the conversion public charter school will be involved in:

   1. (A) Developing and implementing the school improvement plan; and
   2. (B) Identifying performance criteria;
6. (6) Describe how the concerns of licensed employees and parents of students enrolled in the conversion public charter school will be solicited and addressed in evaluating the effectiveness of the improvement plan;
7. (7) List the specific provisions of Title 6 of the Arkansas Code and the specific rules promulgated by the state board from which the public charter school will be exempt; and

8. (8) If the school wishes the authorizer to designate it as a community school, as defined by Arkansas Code § 6-15-3002:

   1. (A) Include a request to be designated as a community school; and
   2. (B) Include a community school plan, as defined by Arkansas Code § 6-15-3002, which must contain without limitation an initial plan for serving student needs.