The State Board of Education — though some members were reluctant — gave the go-ahead Friday for 10 new charter schools recommended by the State Charter School Board to open next fall, including five in Utah County.

It's the highest number of charter schools to open in a single year, and some state board members called the move a leap of faith.

Last month the State Charter Board mulled over 18 charter applications, approving 10 to be sent to the state school board for approval.

But some state board members said they were uncomfortable signing off on 10 charter schools in one day. In the past, when chartering was the state board's responsibility, members went over applications with a fine-toothed comb in a process that often took months.

State board member Laurel Brown said if the board was not able to do its own work in approving the schools — aside from the charter board's reviews — it may as well just order rubber stamps.

"It's kind of obvious that the Charter School Board does not have the trust of the State Board of Education and I can understand that because it is your duty to question and to become comfortable with the decisions that you make," said David Moss, charter board member.

"But regardless of what your vote is you can rely pretty much on what the state charter board has said — fly with us this time . . . let us do our job."

After ample discussion the state board lumped the charter schools together and accepted the charter board's recommendations without continuing to discuss each charter individually.

Brian Allen, charter board president, said it was a unique situation trying to approve 10 schools all at once — something that that he said will never happen again after the charter board tweaks the process.

Nonetheless, he said the state board put adequate trust in the charter board's decisions and he felt that it was a constructive discussion.

The charters include American Achievement Academy in Nebo, American Preparatory Academy-West in Jordan School District, Beehive Science and Technology Academy in Granite, Lincoln Academy in Alpine, North Star Academy in Jordan, Odyssey Charter School in Alpine, Ronald Reagan Academy in Nebo, Thomas Edison South in Cache, Utah County Academy of Sciences in Nebo, Alpine and Provo and Wasatch Peak Academy in Davis.

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