194-E:3 State Approval. –
I. A local school board may seek an innovation school or school zone designation by the state board.
II. A local school board that seeks designation of an innovation school or school zone shall submit one or more innovation plans to the department for review and comment.
III. Within 45 days after receiving a local school board's plan, the department of education shall respond to the local school board with any suggested changes or additions to the plan, including but not limited to suggestions for further innovations or for measures to increase the likelihood that the innovations will result in greater academic achievement and growth within the innovation schools or innovation school zones. Based on the department's comments, the local school board may choose to withdraw and resubmit its innovation plan or plan for creating an innovation school zone.
IV. The local school board shall forward the innovation plan to the state board for review.
V. The state board shall hold public hearing on the plan. A representative of the department of education and a representative of the proposing local board shall be present at the hearing.
VI. Within 60 days after receiving a local school board's innovation plan or plan for creating an innovation school or school zone, the state board shall either approve or reject the innovation plan using reasonable discretion in the assessment of the elements set forth in this chapter and provide written explanation of the decision to the local board.
VII. If the innovation plan is rejected, the local board may resubmit an amended innovation plan to the department at any time after rejection.