COLORADO SPRINGS — A 55-page bill is set to be introduced at the state capitol on April 11th. HB24-1363 requires charter schools to be more transparent with the state and the public.
"[The bill], it's a waste of time," said a Colorado Charter School Institution board member, Deborah Hendrix.
"There's no intention in this bill to shut down charters," said a bill sponsor, Lorena Garcia.
If passed, the bill would require charter schools to report enrollment numbers, teacher retention rates and expenses without exception.
Right now, charter schools could waive or alter some of these requirements, according to the state's Department of Education (CDE).
"We just need to turn the lights on, and if people are afraid to turn the lights on then that's something to consider," said Garcia.
Those who oppose the bill said that charter schools already comply with all state regulations.
"[Charters are] just not . . . 'we don't want to do this, so we're gonna just change it,' [waivers] are approvals that have to go through CDE," said Hendrix.
The bill would require charter school contracts to be carefully reviewed for renewal. Failure to provide accurate reporting could lead to a school's charter being revoked.
"The Governor strongly opposes [this bill]," said a spokesperson in a statement. They went on to say, the bill would weaken school choice.
Hendrix said lawmakers would make it easier for charter schools to get shut down. "If a district can say well we got declining enrollment so therefore we're not going to renew your contract."
If that happens, Hendrix said families would have fewer options to send their kids to school.
This bill would affect 261 charter schools in our state. Enrollment grew by nearly 40,000 in the last ten years.
____
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
