Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Charter Schools Military topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves charter-school enrollment priority for military families
Summary
The committee voted unanimously to adopt an amendment restoring the term “priority” for enrollment preference for students at charter schools located on military installations, then reported the bill favorably 18-0.
A bill to give military families enrollment priority at some charter schools moved through the House Education and Public Works full committee with unanimous support for the amendment that restored the statutory language "priority" in one section of the text.
Representative Bradley summarized the measure as allowing military families to receive a slot in a charter school’s enrollment process when they relocate to a new community. "We're allowing them to come in and have a little preference and get in so that we can take care of our military families," Bradley said, saying the change would help families who move into an area while waiting on residency-based waiting lists.
Staff member Pierce explained the amendment to the committee, saying it corrects language affected by memorandums of agreement with the Department of Defense. "For those charter schools [located on military facilities], they can have a preference of up to 50% ... we were told yesterday during testimony ... it should go back to priority," Pierce said. The amendment replaces the word "preference" with "priority" in the affected section.
The committee adopted the amendment on a voice and roll-call sequence that produced an 18-0 vote, and the full bill was then reported favorably as amended by the committee on an 18-0 vote.
Committee presenters said the change responds to operational agreements with the Department of Defense and affects only charters tied to military installations; the measure does not require charters to adopt the priority but prescribes how enrollment preference may be applied where a charter elects to do so.
The bill now goes to the House floor for further consideration.
