IV 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 204

Congratulating charter schools across the United States, and the students, 

parents, teachers, and administrators of such schools, for their ongoing 

contributions to education, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 29, 2003

Mr. PORTER (for himself, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. CASTLE, Mr. 

DEMINT, Mrs. MUSGRAVE, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. CHOCOLA, Mr. 

HAYWORTH, Mr. KELLER, Mrs. BLACKBURN, and Mr. REHBERG) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Education and the Workforce 

APRIL 29, 2003

Committee on Education and the Workforce discharged; considered under 

suspension of the rules and agreed to 

RESOLUTION

Congratulating charter schools across the United States, and 

the students, parents, teachers, and administrators of 

such schools, for their ongoing contributions to education, and for other purposes.

Whereas charter schools across the United States deliver 

high-quality education and challenge students to reach 

their potential; 

Whereas charter schools are public schools authorized by a 

designated public entity to respond to the needs of com-
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munities, families, and students and to promote the principles of quality, choice, and innovation; 

Whereas, in exchange for the flexibility and autonomy given 

to charter schools, they are held accountable by their 

sponsors for improving student achievement and for their 

financial and other administrative operations; 

Whereas 39 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have passed laws authorizing 

charter schools; 

Whereas almost 2,700 charter schools are now operating in 

36 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and serving nearly 700,000 students; 

Whereas the Congress has appropriated nearly 

$1,000,000,000 for the costs of planning, startup, implementation, and information dissemination associated with 

charter schools since the initial authorization in 1994 of 

the Federal charter school grant program under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; 

Whereas an additional $50,000,000 in Federal appropriations 

has now been approved to help address the facilities’ financing needs of charter schools; 

Whereas charter schools can be vehicles for improving student achievement for students who attend them, for stimulating change and improvement in all public schools, 

and for benefiting all public school students; 

Whereas charter schools must meet the student achievement 

accountability requirements included by the No Child 

Left Behind Act of 2001 in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 in the same manner as 

other public schools, and often set higher and additional 
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individual goals, to ensure that they are of high quality 

and truly accountable to the public; 

Whereas charter schools give parents new freedom to choose 

their public school, charter schools routinely measure parental satisfaction levels, and charter schools must prove 

their ongoing and increasing success to parents, policymakers, and their communities; 

Whereas nearly 70 percent of charter schools report having 

a waiting list, and the total number of students on all 

such waiting lists is enough to fill another 1,000 averagesized charter schools; 

Whereas students in charter schools nationwide have demographic characteristics similar to students in all public 

schools; 

Whereas charter schools in many States serve significant 

numbers of students from families with lower incomes, 

minority students, and students with disabilities, and, in 

a majority of charter schools, almost one-half of the students are considered at-risk or are former dropouts; 

Whereas the fourth annual National Charter Schools Week is 

being celebrated from April 28, 2003, to May 2, 2003, 

and is an event sponsored by charter schools and grassroots charter school organizations across the United 

States to recognize the significant impacts, achievements, 

and innovations of the Nation’s charter schools; and 

Whereas charter schools have enjoyed broad bipartisan support from the Administration, the Congress, State Governors, State legislatures, educators, and parents across 

the United States: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That—
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1 (1) the House of Representatives acknowledges 

2 and commends the charter school movement, charter 

3 schools across the United States, and the students, 

4 parents, teachers, and administrators of such 

5 schools, for their ongoing contributions to education 

6 and to improving and strengthening the public 

7 school system of the United States; 

8 (2) the House of Representatives supports the 

9 fourth annual National Charter Schools Week; and 

10 (3) it is the sense of the House of Representa11 tives that the President should issue a proclamation 

12 calling on the people of the United States to conduct 

13 appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to 

14 demonstrate support for charter schools during this 

15 week-long celebration in communities throughout the 

16 United States.

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