NC rejected a charter school in Union County. GOP lawmakers want to change that
A pair of Republican legislators filed a bill Wednesday ordering a Union County charter school’s approval after the State Board of Education rejected its application.
Senate Bill 230’s primary sponsors include Sens. Todd Johnson and David Craven, both of whom represent districts covering Union County. Their bill wants board members to approve American Leadership Academy-Monroe to open in the 2024-25 school year.
“The Board shall issue American Leadership Academy – Monroe a charter pursuant to this section, and the school shall operate pursuant to the requirements applicable to charter schools set forth in Article 14A of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes,” the bill states.
The state board voted twice — in December and January — to reject the application for American Leadership Academy-Monroe to open this fall in Union County, the News & Observer reported. The vote took place amid a debate about approving new charter schools run by for-profit companies.
Appointees of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper rejected the Union County school, the News & Observer reported.
Senate Bill 230 could be unprecedented. While the General Assembly ordered the state board to approve two virtual charter schools for the pilot program in 2014, lawmakers have never ordered the state board to approve a charter it rejected.
Requests for comment Wednesday from Johnson, Craven and state board of education members Eric Davis and James Ford, who voted against the charter school, went unanswered.
In response to some charters being rejected, the General Assembly added new requirements over the years such as saying any application the N.C. Charter Schools Advisory Board recommends needs to be voted on twice by the state board before it’s officially rejected.
Heather Koons, of Public Schools First NC, told The Charlotte Observer the state has a process for reviewing and approving or rejecting charter school applications that should be respected by legislators. She pointed to student performance of American Leadership Academy — Coastal in Wilmington, where state data gave the school D performance grades since 2021 and say it hasn’t met growth targets.
“This bill is a clear example of legislative overreach and hope that it dies in committee,” Koons said. “The State Board is wise to not allow further expansion without better evidence of the school’s ability to educate students. What evidence do the bill’s sponsors have that this charter school is needed in Union County?”
Charter schools held to unfair standard?
The state board has raised concerns about Charter One, which manages charter schools in Arizona, Florida, Nevada and North Carolina, and how a for-profit company would manage its newest American Leadership Academy in Monroe.
But some members of the N.C. Charter Schools Advisory Board complain charter schools are being held to an unfair standard compared to traditional public schools. Bruce Friend, vice president of CSAB, told the News & Observer in December: “We’re holding charter schools to some level of how and where they can spend their money that we don’t ask of any of the traditional public schools.”
Glenn Way, a former Utah legislator, founded Charter One, which provides management to charter schools at all stages of operation, according to its website. He also founded American Leadership Academy.
Wake Preparatory Academy in Wake Forest, Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy in Huntersville and Aristotle Preparatory Academy in Charlotte are part of the Charter One network.
An Arizona Republic investigation in 2018 reported Way has made millions of dollars building, selling and leasing properties to the charter schools he runs in Arizona
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 3:51 PM.
