Washington state does not allow charter schools, although an initiative that would allow them may appear on a ballot later this year. In North Idaho, Kootenai County' s first charter school opened last fall. Officials for the Charter Academy in Coeur d'Alene and the Coeur d'Alene School District are still discussing who should control the new school's budget. States attempting to promote charter schools are heading in the wrong direction if they don't give the special public schools ample freedom and funding, supporters say in a report on state laws. A large number believe it's all right to have charter schools as long as they liberate the system from bad kids.
Charter schools are public schools run with exemptions from most state laws and regulations.
Idaho allows charter schools, but didn't make that list. The group examined states for policies it associates with strong charter school laws. The best states, Allen said, tended to allow universities and other groups to join school districts in sponsoring charters, make sure those charters get their funding directly from the state, approve a variety of schools, and protect charters from restrictive teacher union contracts. The group put a premium on how many charter schools a community has. Saying the best laws lead to the greatest number of charters, Allen believes a critical mass of schools will lead to more reform at the ailing public schools that drive parents away in the first place.