Utah Legislature: Charter schools get boost in funding, seat on board

Charter schools didn't get the makeover they hoped for this legislative session, but they managed to secure money to support growth and a seat on the State School Board, among other things.

The House and the Senate tossed SB2, the public education budget, back and forth Thursday, arguing over a last-minute move to force school districts to pass charters a share of their property tax revenue. Last year, in an attempt to compensate for charter schools' inability to levy taxes, the state dumped $45 million into the program.

In the end, the two houses agreed to study charter financing after the session and address the problem next year.

The Legislature did award charter schools $13 million for growth, however. District schools, on the other hand, will have to absorb the cost of some 11,000 new children.

Other passed bills included SB188, which gives a member of the State Charter School Board a non-voting position on the State School Board, and SB55, which gives colleges and universities the power to start K-12 public schools. HB149 eliminates the statutory cap on charter growth.

— Elizabeth Stuart