HB 1432: Expand opportunity for establishment of charter schools

House Bill 1432, sponsored by Rep. Rob Roberson, would make several changes to Mississippi’s charter school law designed to expand the establishment of charters in the state.  

Background

Charter schools are public schools. Like other public schools, they don’t charge tuition. They must accept all students who apply, limited only by grades served, space available, and the rating of the district where the school will be located. Currently, charter schools may be authorized in districts that are rated D or F when the charter application is filed. They may also be approved to open in A, B, or C districts if the local school board endorses the application. The final approval comes from the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board. 

Under the proposed legislation:
 

• The Authorizer Board would be able to approve a charter school in a district that is rated C, D, or F. The additional eligibility for C districts will expire when the State Board of Education adjusts a key component of the accountability model that will make the school and district rating system more accurate. However, even after that change is made, a charter school approved under such circumstances may continue to operate, regardless of the rating of the district in which it is located.
• Charter schools that are designed to serve students with autism, emotional disability, or intellectual disability may be approved in any school district, regardless of the district’s rating. 
• A number of technical changes would be made to clarify the existing law.

Mississippi’s charter school sector remains painfully small more than a decade after the law passed. In fact, only 10 charter schools are currently in operation in the state, with two more approved to open in the future.  

Why has progress been slow? It’s not because there isn’t interest from operators, both in Mississippi and beyond the state’s borders. 

And it isn’t because of a lack of interest among parents. From the limited pool of charters, we see waiting lists and impressive year-over-year retention rates. In Jackson, where we have the largest share of charter schools, 20-25% of public school students who attend a grade offered by a charter school are enrolled in charter schools. And that number is growing. 

At the end of the day, charter schools come with built-in accountability: parents. Each year, they choose to send – or not send – their children to charter schools based on whether their children are getting what they need.  

Charter schools can and should serve an important function in Mississippi’s education landscape. Operators need more support and parents need more options. 

Empower Mississippi supports this legislation

HB 1432 has passed the House of Representatives and now heads to the Senate for consideration. You can read the bill here.