But the state Board of Education is urging a more cautious approach. On Thursday, the board granted charters for six new schools to begin operating in the 2001-2002 school year. The action will bring the total number in the state to 100 unless some existing schools close before the next school year. But I also know we need to tread slowly because we moved awfully fast in the beginning. Charter schools were begun as an alternative to public schools, free from much of the red tape and governing rules.
Supporters say they have help foster innovation.
The schools receive state instructional money on a per pupil basis just like the public schools, but are governed largely by private boards and state charters. The charters require students to meet certain performance standards and the schools to meet some financial and instructional requirements. Taft said the state board initially approved some charter school proposals it probably shouldn't have. Seventeen schools voluntarily withdrew their charter before or after opening, or had it revoked by the state because of low enrollment or financial problems. Taft said she, like most of her colleagues on the board, are awaiting a study due next January before taking a position on whether the 100-school cap should be pushed higher or removed.