Charter school legislation gets new life - WLOX.com - The News for South Mississippi

Charter school legislation gets new life

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JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -

The state senate has now passed its version of a charter school bill that supporters say is a compromise with the version that failed in house committee.

The 31-to-19 vote came late Wednesday afternoon. The legislation was added as an amendment to an existing bill and would broaden language used in the creation of charter schools. Under the bill, charter schools could open anywhere in the state, but current districts with a rating of "successful" or higher would have to first give approval.

Those "successful" districts would have only four years of approval power, while those ranked as "star" or "high performing" would have permanent approval power.

Funding is set to follow the student and a seven member commission would be set up.

"This is an opportunity for us to bring the charter school legislation back," said Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves. "I think it's important. I think kids trapped in failing school districts need it, and that's what we tried to do."

The bill now goes to the house, which can either concur with what the senate passed or send the bill to a conference committee.

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