OKLAHOMA CITY – Earlier this month, the Biden Administration conceded to Attorney General John O’Connor’s criticisms of a new regulatory proposal regarding federal grants for public charter schools.
“I am glad that the Biden Administration accepted my request to abandon its flawed plans for charter school funding,” said Attorney General O’Connor. “All students deserve access to a high-quality education and underperforming public schools should not be able to veto their own competition.”
The Department’s final rules on the Charter School Program removed both of the objectionable provisions. They deleted all requirements for over-enrollment data, changing the community impact analysis requirement to merely a needs analysis that could be met in any number of ways, including showing over-enrollment. They also demoted the partnership requirement to merely an idea they encourage, ensuring that no one is penalized for applying without a public school partner.
Attorney General O’Connor was joined in the comment by the following states: Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.