Four Charlotte-area lawmakers honored by charter school group

Four state representatives from the Charlotte area were among 13 legislators honored as “charter champions” at this week’s conference of the N.C. Public Charter Schools Association.

Reps. Rob Bryan and Charles Jeter of Mecklenburg County and Craig Horn and Mark Brody of Union County were recognized at the session in Durham for their support of the independent public schools. All are Republicans; state Rep. Cecil Brockman of Guilford was the only Democrat honored.

“We would like to have a charter caucus,” said Eddie Goodall, a former state senator from Union County who heads the Charlotte-based association. “This may be the beginning of it.”

Charter schools get public money and charge no tuition. They are run by nonprofit boards, rather than local school districts. North Carolina will have 162 charter schools in 2015-16. That number has been growing, especially in the Charlotte region, since the state lifted a 100-school cap in 2011.

Note: This article was updated July 27 to correct the omission of Mark Brody.

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Four Charlotte-area lawmakers honored by charter school group."