Charter schools catching on

Utah parents like having choices when it comes to their kids' education. That much is clear, given how charter schools have begun to catch on here.

As this newspaper reported earlier this week, the state has approved another eight such schools, giving Utah 28 in all. Three more applications remain viable and will be considered later. An additional five were rejected, but state officials promised to continue working with those to make them acceptable.

The Beehive State was a bit slow in catching on to the charter school movement. Many other states had experimented with them and were well down the road toward providing vouchers or tax credits for private school choice, as well, by the time Utah issued its first charter in 1998. Even then, charters faced an uphill climb. Local school districts balked at allowing another public school onto their stage, fearing it would take away precious resources. Not until the state created a separate district for charter schools did they begin to come into their own.

But now there seems to be nothing but blue skies ahead for the charter concept.

Charter schools are self-governing public schools, sometimes run by private companies. They have greater flexibility than do other public schools, and yet they must follow the same core curriculum and testing standards as the more traditional neighborhood schools.

Their very existence injects a spirit of competition in a school system that has become, in many instances, unresponsive and tradition-bound. Parents can choose to move their student from one school to the other, allowing them to find the educational experience that suits their own needs best.

The same basic principle applies to the tuition tax credit movement that is beginning to take hold among state lawmakers. Under that plan, parents who choose to place their child in a private school would receive a portion of their tuition payment back in a credit.

Education choice is going to become more important as the state's demographics continue to shift. With more non-English speaking families entering Utah, low-income parents will need greater choice and flexibility to help their children adapt to their new environment. Charter schools are bound to step up to meet those needs. So will private schools if state law provides an incentive. But traditional public schools also are bound to improve as competitive pressures kick in.

The result is bound to be good for just about every student.