Two schools in Salt Lake and Granite districts are hoping to morph into charter schools next year, but both may have to clear funding hurdles.

The Granite Board of Education on Tuesday gave the green light for parents to seek approval to convert Canyon Rim Elementary to a charter school. The school was marked for closure, along with Meadow Moor Elementary, in November.

"This demonstrates that Granite School District is committed to thinking outside the box to ensure students have as many educational opportunities as possible," said Erik Olsen, a Canyon Rim parent. "We weren't pleased with the closure, but they have been very open to our proposals and feedback."

The proposed Canyon Rim Academy would build on the current school's arts emphasis and showcase innovative curriculum and community involvement.

Now Olsen, who is also a member of the board of directors at the would-be academy, said organizers may seek a charter approval from the state.

But in doing so, Canyon Rim also would have to be granted a waiver from the State Board of Education that would negate a state rule requiring all charters to be approved no less than 10 months before they begin operations.

A second option would be to apply for the 2007-08 school year to meet the 10-month stipulation. But organizers would be competing with about two dozen other proposed charter schools for only three available slots. That's because the Utah Legislature has placed a cap on charter school approvals for that school year.

Originally, Canyon Rim Academy organizers had planned to seek a charter from Granite School District. But this week, they learned they would not receive any state charter funding in the school's first year because they did not meet the 10-month rule.

Now they are looking at other options, Olsen said.

However, the state deadline for charter applications is Friday. Olsen said organizers would be making a decision this week on which option to pursue.

Leaders of the Open Classroom Salt Lake City are also applying for a district charter that would allow them to operate in a building of their own and also grow to a K-8 school. The board already has had multiple discussions about the charter, which would begin in the fall of this year.

Right now, the program is housed at Washington Elementary, where it also shares an administrator. The Open Classroom, a K-6 district optional program, requires parents to volunteer in the classroom each week and allows for more individualized learning and parental involvement.

If approved, the Open Classroom charter could be funded in the first year by Salt Lake City School District, therefore the 10-month rule would not be a factor.

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E-mail: terickson@desnews.com