State Board of Education Rejects Removal Of Charter School Cap

The state Board of Education has rejected proposed 2012 legislation to eliminate Idaho's cap on charter schools. The board voted Thursday during a meeting in northern Idaho on a list of proposed legislation for next year, including a measure to eliminate a provision in state law that limits the number of new charter schools to six a year. Trustees voted 3-3 on the plan and the motion failed amid opposition from board member Bill Goesling, a former chairman of the Idaho Public Charter School Commission. Goesling said his concern was that in opening the door for more charter schools, Idaho was developing two systems of public education. Trustees may reconsider the proposal at a future meeting. Legislation to lift Idaho's charter school cap failed in the 2011 session.