Charter School Bill Heading To Senate
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Charter schools have already become one of the biggest issues so far this legislative session.
Republicans have fast tracked the bill, which is almost ready to hit the senate floor.
The bill made it through it’s first committee Wednesday morning.
There wasn’t nearly enough time to get through everyone who came to talk about the issue.
The room was packed with educators, businessmen and parents, all ready to have their say on charter schools.
Alabama is one of only a handful of states without any laws on the subject.
Some, like Huntsville Superintendent Casey Wardynski, have worked with charter schools before and aren’t sure about the new bill.
“We spent a lot of time on those problematic charter schools trying to get them financially solvent, to adhere to their charter agreements. We would go visit them and no one would be there. They’d make an appointment and they wouldn’t show up. It was really sort of a racket. I’m concerned that we don’t have that kind of behavior coming to Alabama,” said wardynski.
But others see charter schools as another option for school choice. Sharon Lee says she’s been struggling with one of her children who was diagnosed ADHD and the school is not helping.
“So if you’re zoned for a specific school and if that school doesn’t work for you, you basically don’t have any options unless you have the money to afford private school. You’re stuck in that school no matter what, whether it’s good, bad, indifferent, you’re stuck,” said Lee.
The committee took up a new version of the bill, and Senator Dick Brewbaker says the main change affects a big concern for those for and against the bill.
“One of the biggest changes was the removal of online schools from the list of legal charters. I think there were a lot of people who had some real heartburn to have schools that were completely virtual and charter schools,” said Sen. Brewbaker.
The bill passed in committee and could make it to the floor of the senate for debate as early as Tuesday.
