The demand for public charter school seats in North Carolina speaks loudly about what Tar Heel parents expect from the tax dollars used for public education. And now, thanks to progress from the GOP-led state legislature, the arbitrary 100-school cap on charters has been lifted. Data from N.C.’s Department of Public Instruction leaves no doubt that, while many parents seem satisfied with traditional public schools, other parents are looking for options that better suit their child’s specific needs. These parents have been thwarted for years by the Big Education bureaucracy that fails to recognize them as customers.
Charter supporters said more schools are needed to meet pent-up demand. At least 30,000 students are on waiting lists for charters, said Joel Medley, acting director of the charter school office within the state Department of Public Instruction.
Medley, who offered application tips and school-management pep talks at the conference, said no one knows how many will apply. In 1997, the State Board received 65 applications and approved 34. New charter applicants have been bumping up against the old ceiling for years. By 2000, the state had 91 approved schools.
The State Board is set to approve new charters next year. Charter policy requires a planning year where managers work on details before they open schools.
You can keep up on the latest in school choice issues, as well as North Carolina’s traditional public school system, by monitoring the writings of JLF Director of Education Studies Terry Stoops.
