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Corbett will take up charter reform again in January
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Gov. Tom Corbett today said he is ready to roll up his sleeves and fight for a charter reform bill when the new legislative session opens in January.
He made those remarks this afternoon at South Allegheny Middle School in McKeesport, in the wake of failed charter legislation this week. He was at the school to cut the ribbon on a new fitness facility created with $100,000 in grant money from the National Foundation for Governor's Fitness Councils.
"We will go back after the election," Mr. Corbett said. "It's unfortunate that it was left on the table. We thought we were going to get it done."
On Tuesday, the state Senate approved a charter reform bill that would have created a statewide commission to study the way charter schools are funded and included a package of changes to fiscal, governance and academic accountability rules. The governor had said he was ready to sign the measure as soon as the House gave its approval.
But on Wednesday House leaders worked into the night without calling the bill and then announced they would adjourn until after the election.
Some legislators said they wanted immediate changes to the way cyber charter schools are funded and others were not satisfied with the bill's creation of a commission to examine funding.
Mr. Corbett said today the commission included in the bill was intended to examine all public school funding, not just charter schools. However, he said he realizes that quicker action may need to be taken on the cyber charter funding issues.
Those who want to see changes in the way cyber charters are funded argue that they should not receive the same payments as bricks and mortar charters because they do not have the same expenses.
First Published October 19, 2012 5:10 pm
