St. Paul district rethinks charter schools
The school district that helped launch the nation's first charter school could be ending its sponsorship of those schools.
St. Paul Superintendent Valeria Silva argues that because of tight budget times, the district doesn't have the resources to be a charter school sponsor, or authorizer, especially with more demanding state requirements.
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports school board members appear sympathetic to Silva's concerns, but won't take a formal vote until fall. Fewer organizations and school districts are stepping up to oversee charters in Minnesota. Only 13 organizations have applied to be authorizers under the new rules, down from 47 that currently oversee Minnesota's 152 charter schools. Of those 13, the state has approved six.
The St. Paul district sponsored the first charter school, City Academy, in 1992. ---
Information from: St. Paul Pioneer Press
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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