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) sub-
mitted 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 edu-
cation, 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-
•HRES 204 ATH 
munities, families, and students and to promote the prin-
ciples 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 Com-
monwealth 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 Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico and serving nearly 700,000 stu-
dents; 
Whereas 
the 
Congress 
has 
appropriated 
nearly 
$1,000,000,000 for the costs of planning, startup, imple-
mentation, and information dissemination associated with 
charter schools since the initial authorization in 1994 of 
the Federal charter school grant program under the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965; 
Whereas an additional $50,000,000 in Federal appropriations 
has now been approved to help address the facilities’ fi-
nancing needs of charter schools; 
Whereas charter schools can be vehicles for improving stu-
dent achievement for students who attend them, for stim-
ulating 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 Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 in the same manner as 
other public schools, and often set higher and additional
•HRES 204 ATH 
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 pa-
rental satisfaction levels, and charter schools must prove 
their ongoing and increasing success to parents, policy-
makers, 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 average-
sized charter schools; 
Whereas students in charter schools nationwide have demo-
graphic 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 stu-
dents 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 grass-
roots 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 sup-
port from the Administration, the Congress, State Gov-
ernors, State legislatures, educators, and parents across 
the United States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That—
•HRES 204 ATH 
(1) the House of Representatives acknowledges 
and commends the charter school movement, charter 
schools across the United States, and the students, 
parents, teachers, and administrators of such 
schools, for their ongoing contributions to education 
and to improving and strengthening the public 
school system of the United States; 
(2) the House of Representatives supports the 
fourth annual National Charter Schools Week; and 
(3) it is the sense of the House of Representa-
tives that the President should issue a proclamation 
calling on the people of the United States to conduct 
appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities to 
demonstrate support for charter schools during this 
week-long celebration in communities throughout the 
United States.
Æ