Republican Senator Dan Soucek offered an amendment in an education subcommittee that would change the Charter School Commission from an independent panel to an advisory commission under the umbrella of the State Board of Education. His amendment would also require the charter schools to reflect the diversity of the population of a school district. Bill sponsor Republican Senator Richard Stevens supported the change. The amendment was approved.
Senator Malcolm Graham had an amendment that would require charter schools to provide transportation plus free and reduced lunches for low income students. Senator Stevens said most charter schools don’t offer those now and there would be a question of how they would pay for them. Graham also wanted charter schools to waive the lottery for student applicants to give minority students priority. The subcommittee did not vote on Graham’s amendment but could take it up again next week.
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