NC Approves 24 New Charter Schools

Big boost for choice

The North Carolina State Board of Education approved 24 charter schools on Wednesday, a new sign of the growing charter school movement.

Schools will still have to meet state requirements, and not all schools are expected to be approved.  Cameron Creek Charter has already been denied, officials said.

In all, 70 schools applied to join the charter ranks.  That number is an indication of how rapid the charter school movement is growing.

If every school was approved, they would take away one out of 20 Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students.  The potential is 7,000 students, which could be seen as a threat to funding for traditional public education.