Yesterday the N.C. House passed two bills with significant and positive charter impacts. H.B. 219, Charter School Omnibus, includes provisions that impact charter school funding, enrollment growth, admission preferences, and more. Learn more about specific provisions in the bill in this blog post. H.B. 219 passed the House by a 75-42 vote.
H.B. 618, Charter School Review Board, also passed the House by a 75-42 vote. This bill would streamline and expedite the process for charter applications and renewals. It would convert the current Charter Schools Advisory Board into a Charter School Review Board with the authority to provide final approval on new charter schools and charter renewals. Currently, the State Board of Education has this authority, while the Charter Schools Advisory Board makes recommendations. Under H.B. 618, the State Board would become an appellate entity for the Review Board’s decisions.
The Coalition actively supports both bills, which have now been sent to the Senate. Today is the General Assembly’s crossover deadline. To stay viable, bills must pass out of one chamber and into the other by the end of the day.
