In 2023, charter school advocates continued to make legislative gains in statehouses across the country. These gains were made in red, blue, and purple states, oftentimes in ways that showed bipartisan support for charter schools remains firmly in place. A new report, 2023 State Legislative Session Highlights for Public Charter Schools, written by Todd Ziebarth, Senior Vice President, State Advocacy & Support at The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, reviews notable legislative wins, as well as nationwide developments in the charter school sector.
Key points include:
- In perhaps 2023’s biggest legislative win, Montana became the 46th state to enact a charter school law when Governor Gianforte signed the Community Choice Schools Act into law on May 16, 2023.
- Charter school advocates notched an unusually large number of major wins on funding and facilities legislation, with especially significant progress in Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Wyoming.
- Charter school supporters opened the door to new types of authorizers in several states, including in Montana (new state authorizer), Nevada (cities and counties), North Carolina (new state authorizer), Oklahoma (new state authorizer, more types of universities, and accredited private institutions of higher learning), Utah (private institutions of higher education), and Wyoming (new state authorizer).
- Charter school supporters successfully played successful defense on anti-charter school efforts in several states, with three of the most notable defensive victories in blue states – New Mexico, California, and Michigan.
Download the report for an in-depth review and analysis of 2023 state legislative updates.
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