It’s been almost a decade since charter schools legislation first came on the scene in Olympia.
The idea has run into walls on both sides of the state Legislature, and voters have twice rejected charter-school proposals.
But legislators are at it again. They’re trying to take Washington off the list of 10 states that still don’t allow the publicly funded schools, which are not subject to most state and federal regulations, particularly on how money is spent.
Last week, the Snohomish School Board joined Everett and a few others around the state in passing a resolution that opposes the bill, HB 2295.
The Snohomish board said it opposed the bill because charter schools drain resources from other public schools, they’re not overseen by elected officials and because voters rejected charter-school proposals in 1996 and 2000.
House staff working on the bill said the reaction from school districts across the state has been split. Some believe such schools could work because they would cater to the individual needs of students better than a public school.
Federal Way School District’s board supports the bill because members say it would provide school districts with more flexibility in serving their students.
Dan Steele handles government issues for the Washington State School Directors’ Association, which represents school boards across the state. He said the group opposes the bill because there’s little accountability for charter schools with the public.
"Even though new charter schools are considered public charter schools, they would actually be run by a nonprofit board of directors that is not publicly elected," Steele said. "Therefore, they’re not publicly accountable to the voters in the school district."
Steele also said if the theory behind establishing charter schools is that the current school system is broken, then the state should act to fix the system rather than start a new one. He also said that since not all students would attend such schools, the state would in theory be admitting that it is leaving the majority of its students in what it considers to be a failing system.
Other school boards in Snohomish County haven’t taken an official position on charter schools, but many board members have strong feelings nonetheless.
Edmonds School District Superintendent Wayne Robertson and Edmonds teachers union President Dan Wilson wrote a letter to legislators opposing the bill. Sultan Superintendent Al Robinson said the Legislature is wasting time in a short session on an issue "that has been decided time and time again."
"It’s a bad time to introduce a new level of expenditure, and therefore, revenue, when it’s already so tight in education that the state can’t adequately fund (voter-backed initiatives)," Robinson added.
He also noted that school districts already run "quasi-charter schools" that have proven to be highly successful, citing the 10th Street School in Marysville.
Gov. Gary Locke, who supports the bill, has already included more than $500,000 in his supplemental budget for three new charter schools to open in the fall.
The bill would allow five charter schools in the first three years, and 10 in each of the three years after that. Existing schools could only be converted into charter schools if they were considered low-performing schools by federal and state standards.
Also under the bill, new charter schools could only be approved by local school boards or the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Existing schools being converted into charter schools could be approved only by the local school board.
The bill does not provide for charter schools that are centered around a particular academic subject or activity, such as music or art.
Steele said the school directors’ association expects that the bill will linger throughout the current session, even if it technically dies along the way. Lawmakers have various exemptions they can use to revive a bill even if it has failed to meet certain deadlines.
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
