Applications and Admissions

Admissions processes for SUNY authorized charter schools must meet legal requirements of an open, non-discriminatory process.

• Application and Admissions Materials, Guides and Templates

Board Governance 

This guidance provides an overview of certain components of board governance and the key documents and policies a SUNY charter school’s board will be required to adopt and abide by.

• Guide to Board Governance
• Board Overview Form

Charter Revision

• Guide to Charter Revisions
• Reporting Requirements

Child Abuse Reporting

This guidance provides an overview of school employees’ obligations as to reporting suspected child abuse and maltreatment in and out of an educational setting.

• Guide to Child Abuse Reporting

Closure Plan

SUNY has created a template outlining the required actions for schools facing closure.

• Sample SUNY Closure Plan

Complaint Policy

Education corporations are required to prepare and implement policies to receive and handle complaints.  This guidance details the requirements of a complaint policy.

• Guide to Complaint Policy 

Fingerprinting Policies and Procedures

Charter school education corporations have an ongoing obligation to clear all employees, including independent contractors, prior to employment by means of a fingerprint-supported criminal background check through the New York State Education Department’s Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability.  This guidance details the policy requirements for conducting fingerprint-supported criminal background checks and provides related resources for education corporations.

• Guide to Fingerprinting Policies and Procedures

Facilities

Guidance on the procedures regarding new, changing or expanding facilities.

• Guide to Facilities 
• 2024-25 Facility Reporting Questionnaire 

Fiscal

• Fiscal Dashboard, Guides and Templates

Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)

The New York State Charter Schools Act and the charters of SUNY authorized charter schools require schools to comply with the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and New York Open Meetings Law.

• Guide to Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)

Merging Education Corporations

Amendments to the New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 (as amended, the “Act”) in 2010, permit charter school education corporations to operate more than one charter school. Two or more existing education corporations may elect to merge into one education corporation with the authority to operate multiple charter schools pursuant to New York Education Law §§ 2852(7) and 2853(1)(b-1), and Article 9 of the New York Not-For Profit Corporation Law. Merger can benefit the schools involved by allowing common governance, common oversight, common financial accounting, shared educational programming and resources, and improved student access to the schools under the education corporation.

The following guidance discusses the documents and procedures necessary to prepare for merger of education corporations, the documents required and guidance as to operations after merger has become effective.

• Guide to Merging Education Corporations
• Enrollment Template

Open Meetings Law

The New York State Charter Schools Act and the charters of SUNY authorized charter schools require schools to comply with the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and New York Open Meetings Law.

• Guide to Open Meetings Law

Preopening

SUNY has outlined the prior action activities for new and stand alone charter schools preparing to open.

• Preopening