SBOE Approves Charter Fast Track

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SBOE Approves Charter Fast Track

Special Report - September 2, 2011
On Thursday, the North Carolina State Board of Education approved a proposal to allow for a “fast-track” application process for charter schools, which would allow approved charters to be operational by August 2012, instead of August 2013. Typically, approved charter school applications are required under current guidelines to complete a one-year planning period before opening.

The fast track proposal comes in response to the General Assembly’s recent passage of SB 8—No Cap on Number of Charter Schools, which lifted the state’s 100-school cap on charter schools. Under the plan approved Thursday, the “fast track” option would only be open to “applicants that are conversion schools or charter applicants that were interviewed by the State Board of Education last year (2011) but, due to the existence of the legislated cap, were not granted a charter.”

Fast-track applications must be submitted to the North Carolina Public Charter School Advisory Council (NCPCSAC) by November 10, 2011. After reviewing the applications, the NCPCSAC will be responsible for passing along their recommendations to the State Board, which will make final approval decisions at their monthly meeting in February 2012.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, the State Board approved 11 of the 15 appointments to the NCPCSAC, which are selected by the Governor, the President Pro Tem of the State Senate, the Speaker of the State House of Representatives, and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Although four more appointments (one from the Senate President Pro Tem and three from the Speaker of the House) are pending, the following individuals were confirmed today:

Jenny Adams, Grantsboro
Retired teacher
John Betterton, Roxboro
Public charter school principal
Alfred Dillon, Clemmons
Former public charter school board member
Kwan Graham, Charlotte
Parent and Parent Liaison Initiative leader for Parents for Educational Freedom in NC (PEFNC)
Richard Hooker, Shelby
Local business owner & school board member
Dr. Tim Markley, Carolina Beach
Superintendent of New Hanover County Schools
Aaron Means, Charlotte
Former KIPP Charlotte board member
Dr. Rebecca Shore, Charlotte
UNC Charlotte professor, former teacher and school administrator
Paul J. Norcross, High Point
Phoenix Academy Charter School co-founder
Baker Mitchell Jr., Wilmington
Roger Bacon Academy Charter School co-founder
Dr. Robert Landry, Mocksville
Former teacher, principal and superintendent

Related resources:
2011 Legislative Review - June 22, 2011
Education Day at the Legislature - June 10, 2011
Charter Bill Heads to Conference - April 15, 2011