NRS386.580. Application for admission; determination of enrollment; authorization to enroll certain children first; discrimination prohibited; exception for charter school that provides education for certain pupils; participation in class or extracurricular activity by pupil enrolled in another school or homeschooled child.

      1.  An application for enrollment in a charter school may be submitted to the governing body of the charter school by the parent or legal guardian of any child who resides in this State. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection and subsection 2, a charter school shall enroll pupils who are eligible for enrollment in the order in which the applications are received. If the board of trustees of the school district in which the charter school is located has established zones of attendance pursuant to NRS 388.040, the charter school shall, if practicable, ensure that the racial composition of pupils enrolled in the charter school does not differ by more than 10 percent from the racial composition of pupils who attend public schools in the zone in which the charter school is located. If a charter school is sponsored by the board of trustees of a school district located in a county whose population is 100,000 or more, except for a program of distance education provided by the charter school, the charter school shall enroll pupils who are eligible for enrollment who reside in the school district in which the charter school is located before enrolling pupils who reside outside the school district. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, if more pupils who are eligible for enrollment apply for enrollment in the charter school than the number of spaces which are available, the charter school shall determine which applicants to enroll pursuant to this subsection on the basis of a lottery system.

      2.  Before a charter school enrolls pupils who are eligible for enrollment, a charter school may enroll a child who:

      (a) Is a sibling of a pupil who is currently enrolled in the charter school;

      (b) Was enrolled, free of charge and on the basis of a lottery system, in a prekindergarten program at the charter school or any other early childhood educational program affiliated with the charter school;

      (c) Is a child of a person who is:

             (1) Employed by the charter school;

             (2) A member of the committee to form the charter school; or

             (3) A member of the governing body of the charter school;

      (d) Is in a particular category of at-risk pupils and the child meets the eligibility for enrollment prescribed by the charter school for that particular category; or

      (e) Resides within the school district and within 2 miles of the charter school if the charter school is located in an area that the sponsor of the charter school determines includes a high percentage of children who are at risk. If space is available after the charter school enrolls pupils pursuant to this paragraph, the charter school may enroll children who reside outside the school district but within 2 miles of the charter school if the charter school is located within an area that the sponsor determines includes a high percentage of children who are at risk.

Ê If more pupils described in this subsection who are eligible apply for enrollment than the number of spaces available, the charter school shall determine which applicants to enroll pursuant to this subsection on the basis of a lottery system.

      3.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 8, a charter school shall not accept applications for enrollment in the charter school or otherwise discriminate based on the:

      (a) Race;

      (b) Gender;

      (c) Religion;

      (d) Ethnicity; or

      (e) Disability,

Ê of a pupil.

      4.  If the governing body of a charter school determines that the charter school is unable to provide an appropriate special education program and related services for a particular disability of a pupil who is enrolled in the charter school, the governing body may request that the board of trustees of the school district of the county in which the pupil resides transfer that pupil to an appropriate school.

      5.  Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, upon the request of a parent or legal guardian of a child who is enrolled in a public school of a school district or a private school, or a parent or legal guardian of a homeschooled child, the governing body of the charter school shall authorize the child to participate in a class that is not otherwise available to the child at his or her school or homeschool or participate in an extracurricular activity at the charter school if:

      (a) Space for the child in the class or extracurricular activity is available;

      (b) The parent or legal guardian demonstrates to the satisfaction of the governing body that the child is qualified to participate in the class or extracurricular activity; and

      (c) The child is a homeschooled child and a notice of intent of a homeschooled child to participate in programs and activities is filed for the child with the school district in which the child resides for the current school year pursuant to NRS 392.705.

Ê If the governing body of a charter school authorizes a child to participate in a class or extracurricular activity pursuant to this subsection, the governing body is not required to provide transportation for the child to attend the class or activity. A charter school shall not authorize such a child to participate in a class or activity through a program of distance education provided by the charter school pursuant to NRS 388.820 to 388.874, inclusive.

      6.  The governing body of a charter school may revoke its approval for a child to participate in a class or extracurricular activity at a charter school pursuant to subsection 5 if the governing body determines that the child has failed to comply with applicable statutes, or applicable rules and regulations. If the governing body so revokes its approval, neither the governing body nor the charter school is liable for any damages relating to the denial of services to the child.

      7.  The governing body of a charter school may, before authorizing a homeschooled child to participate in a class or extracurricular activity pursuant to subsection 5, require proof of the identity of the child, including, without limitation, the birth certificate of the child or other documentation sufficient to establish the identity of the child.

      8.  This section does not preclude the formation of a charter school that is dedicated to provide educational services exclusively to pupils:

      (a) With disabilities;

      (b) Who pose such severe disciplinary problems that they warrant a specific educational program, including, without limitation, a charter school specifically designed to serve a single gender that emphasizes personal responsibility and rehabilitation; or

      (c) Who are at risk.

Ê If more eligible pupils apply for enrollment in such a charter school than the number of spaces which are available, the charter school shall determine which applicants to enroll pursuant to this subsection on the basis of a lottery system.

      (Added to NRS by 1997, 1850; A 1999, 3301; 2001, 3135; 2003, 2960; 2005, 1537, 1664, 2404, 2540; 2007, 3029; 2009, 261, 580; 2013, 2929)