California Code, Education Code - EDC § 47602

(a)(1) In the 1998-99 school year, the maximum total number of charter schools authorized to operate in this state shall be 250. In the 1999-2000 school year, and in each successive school year thereafter, an additional 100 charter schools are authorized to operate in this state each successive school year. For the purposes of implementing this section, the State Board of Education shall assign a number to each charter petition that it grants pursuant to subdivision (j) of Section 47605or Section 47605.8 and to each charter notice it receives pursuant to this part, based on the chronological order in which the notice is received.Each number assigned by the state board on or after January 1, 2003, shall correspond to a single petition that identifies a charter school that will operate within the geographic and site limitations of this part. The State Board of Education shall develop a numbering system for charter schools that identifies each school associated with a charter and that operates within the existing limit on the number of charter schools that can be approved each year. For purposes of this section, sites that share educational programs and serve similar pupil populations may not be counted as separate schools. Sites that do not share a common educational program shall be considered separate schools for purposes of this section. The limits contained in this paragraph may not be waived by the State Board of Education pursuant to Section 33050 or any other provision of law.

(2) By July 1, 2003, the Legislative Analyst shall, pursuant to the criteria in Section 47616.5, report to the Legislature on the effectiveness of the charter school approach authorized under this part and recommend whether to expand or reduce the annual rate of growth of charter schools authorized pursuant to this section.