Petitioner tells JARC Commission's continuity policy bypasses statute and risks federal compliance issues

Cesar Harrison, the petitioner, told the Joint Administrative Rules Committee that the issue before the panel was not whether continuity was desirable but who has the authority to create the mechanism to achieve it. "The question before this committee is whether the Washington State Charter School Commission has created a new statutory framework through policy rather than through authority granted by the legislature," he said.

Harrison cited state law, referencing RCW 28A.710.210(3), and argued the statutory transfer mechanism is a petition to the State Board of Education rather than an internal commission process. He further warned the Commission's RFP and continuity timeline could create perpetual extensions of charter authority beyond five-year terms and flagged potential complications with federal capital and grant funds if authorizations or transfers are not done under the statutory process.