(1) The complaint process in this chapter is for use by charter school students and their parents or guardians in making complaints against the charter public school currently attended by the student. For purposes of this complaint process, a charter school student must (a) currently attend the charter public school that is the subject of the complaint to the commission, (b) have attended the school within the 90 days prior to filing the complaint with the commission, or (c) attended the school at the time the complaint was submitted to the school through the school's complaint process.

(2) Before filing a complaint with the commission, the school's complaint process should be followed. A student or a parent/guardian of the student should first submit any complaint about the operation or administration of a public charter school to the charter public school using the school's complaint process.

(3) If after completing the school's complaint process (including the appeals process), the complaint remains unresolved, the student or the parent/guardian may submit the complaint to the commission through the commission's online complaint process on the Washington state charter school commission website.

(4) Complaints must be filed with the commission within 90 days of the final decision under the school's complaint process.

(5) The commission will acknowledge receipt of the submitted complaint by contacting the student or parent/guardian within 10 business days.

(a) If a complaint is filed with the commission before the completion of the school's complaint process, the commission will notify the school and the student/parent, and the commission will send the complaint to the school so that the complaint can be addressed through the school's complaint process.

(b) When a complaint is sent to the school under (a) of this subsection, the school is required to promptly provide written notification to the commission regarding the final decision from the school's complaint process and the reason(s) for the outcome of the complaint. The written notification from the school must be provided to the commission within 10 business days of the school's final decision.

(c) After a complaint has gone through the school's complaint process, the student/parent may submit the complaint through the commission's online complaint process within 90 days of the final decision from the school's complaint process.

(6) The commission will review the complaint. When a complaint is in an area within the commission's authority, the commission will determine whether an investigation is necessary and the type of investigation. An investigation may include, but is not limited to, information gathering, a more in-depth investigation during the commission's routine oversight of a school, and/or a separate investigation of the complaint. The commission will provide written notice to the student/parent and the school after the review and/or investigation.

(7) If circumstances warrant it, the commission may alter the time frames within these rules and/or the steps involved in the process.