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Would mandate establishment of statewide charter school.
Next step: Goes to a House committee.
A bill introduced Friday in the House would force state education officials to sidestep certain laws and rules to establish a statewide virtual charter school by fall.
The State Board of Education met Friday to take a position on a number of new bills, including HB169 sponsored by Rep. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, who also sponsored the recently passed school voucher legislation. Board members unanimously opposed the bill, saying it imposes an unrealistic timeline, circumvents their authority and sets a "bad precedent."
The proposal would give the State Office of Education a single infusion of $100,000 to establish a software-driven Internet charter school by the 2007-2008 school year. The school must accommodate up to 2,000 students and allow them to simultaneously attend public school.
Although state law currently requires the Charter School Board and the State School Board to decide whether to grant new charters, the bill requires them to charter the virtual school. It also provides "exemptions from certain statutes" and requires them to "waive any necessary rules" to open the school by fall.
Patti Harrington, the state superintendent of schools, said the bill appeared to circumvent the charter school board, its procedures and timelines.
"I appreciate what they're trying to do with a virtual charter school," said board member Mark Cluff of Alpine. "But I do not appreciate the timetable that they're forcing upon us."
The state school board has been working to expand its online high school to include grades K through 8, deputy superintendent Ray Timothy said. Davis School District, among others, already has set up such a program and the State Office of Education has been seeking the funding to expand it for several years, he said.
Urquhart said he isn't trying to burden or thwart the state or charter school boards and simply wants to aid their efforts to expand the Davis program.
"That's what we're trying to do," he said. "We're meeting with the education people on Monday.