Legislation Would Create Board to Review Charter School Bids

A proposed change in the way New Jersey handles applications for new charter schools would set up a quasi-independent review board within the state Department of Education.

However, while legislation proposed yesterday by state Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex) would update the 1995 charter school law by setting up the review board, the final say would still be left to the state education commissioner. Predictably, after years of disagreement over New Jersey’s charter-school laws, that provision has sparked its own debate.

The Assembly’s education committee yesterday held the first hearing on the bill. Its key provision would require a local vote for any new charter school to open. School district representatives were generally in favor of that, while those representing charter schools were opposed.

The nine-member review board would serve as an oversight agency, with three members each appointed by the governor, Senate president and Assembly speaker. The board would essentially replace the state’s charter school office, with its own staffing and budget. Like the charter office, it would review applications for approval and also monitor existing charters for compliance with the state’s rules.

Currently, only the state education department can approve and deny charters, making New Jersey one of just four states with a single authorizer. Over the past few years, some have contended that the state needs more levels of authorization, while others have called for leaving it in the hands of state education officials – and others have said they trust neither.

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