[Editor’s note: The House passed the conference committee report 108-5 late Thursday, after this article was posted.]
RALEIGH — First it was one page. Then 21 pages. Now, the measure is down to three pages, and that looks to be the lucky number.
General Assembly lawmakers reached agreement Thursday on a bill to lift North Carolina’s 100-school cap on charter schools. Instead of a comprehensive overhaul that fostered weeks of tense debate in committee and on the chamber floors, a version hammered out by a conference committee sticks closer to school-choice advocates’ original objective — lifting the cap.
Beyond that, the compromise also allows existing schools to increase annual enrollment by 20 percent, establishes new thresholds for charter-school performance, and allows charters to charge fees similar to those levied by traditional public schools.
“Removing this arbitrary cap on public charter schools will increase educational opportunities for our kids and give parents the freedom to choose a school that best meets their children’s needs,” said Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, in a prepared statement.
Absent are the more controversial provisions included in past versions, such as establishing an independent charter-schools commission under the Department of Public Instruction and mandating that charters offer free lunches and bus rides.
The bill passed the Senate 45-0 Thursday and also was expected to pass the House by a veto-proof majority. Sponsors had worked with representatives from Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue’s office to reach a consensus version that she would sign.
David N. Bass is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.