View Resource: School Closure Process and Checklist
This Denver document articulates all the legal and procedural requirements for a school that is closing. The tool is a working document that is shared between the closing school and the authorizer. It establishes clear expectations about who is responsible for what, when the various steps need to be completed and how best to complete the steps. It addresses a mix of items from what to do with furniture, fixtures and equipment that was purchased with public funds to what to do with student and HR records. It could be updated with the applicable state and local requirements for a different city or region of the country to be used as a tool. This type of tool would be helpful in a restart situation to ensure that the closing school prepares orderly records and satisfies all its financial obligations prior to closure.
Outcomes and Lessons Learned: Denver has supported 1-2 charter schools in closing each year since 2011. Over time, this checklist has improved to clarify important items like how to handle student files and what to do with financial records. The checklist is usually accompanied by regular check-in meetings between the school and authorizer to verify progress against the checklist.