Senate Committee Passes Bill to Expand Charter Schools

Parents of children in failing public schools could soon have more education alternatives for their children.

Monday the Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill 1669, which would allow Native American tribes to establish charter schools in Oklahoma and Tulsa counties. Current law allows the state’s largest public school districts and public universities to establish charter schools.

“Many charter schools provide a much-needed complement to traditional public education and are excelling in areas where traditional, urban school settings have not. Expanding the number of entities that can establish charter schools will allow parents to have more educational choices and alternatives for their children,” stated the bill’s author, Senate Co-President Pro Tempore Glenn Coffee, R-Oklahoma. “Native American tribes will be an excellent partner in Oklahoma’s charter school program.”

Charter schools are public schools established by contract with sponsors. They are allowed in 41 states and the District of Columbia, and charter schools are freed from many laws and regulations. They often promote a specific curriculum or learning style.