Rhode Island's Moratorium on New Public Charter Schools Expected to Expire June 30

http://www.projo.com/education/content/CHARTERS__MORATORIUM_06-20-08_D5AIK6V_v32.3bf4192.html

A moratorium on opening new public charter schools in Rhode Island is expected to expire June 30. Under pressure from the state's teachers' unions, lawmakers restricted new public charter school from opening in 2004. The moratorium was extended twice, despite growing demand for the schools. Statewide, about 3,100 students attend public charter schools. This year, about 2,500 students were turned away on lottery day and were placed on wait lists. The moratorium is scheduled to expire June 30. The end of the moratorium means two public charter school proposals that have already received preliminary approval by the state Department of Education can move forward and the schools could open as soon as the fall of 2009, if money is allocated by the state. The state Education Department, which must approve all public charter applications, has also received two more within the past several months "There is real demand for charter schools and lifting the moratorium gives people real hope that this could really happen and we could have more of them in the near future," said Steve Nardelli, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Charter Schools.

Source: Providence Journal (free registration required)
Date: 06/21/2008