Charter Schools Need Your Help
Two major charter school bills are moving forward in the final days of the legislative session, which ends September 12. Both carry important implications for charter school leaders. These measures address the rules that govern how charter schools are authorized, funded, and held accountable. While some proposed changes could help prevent future high-profile fraud cases that have hurt the charter school sector, others could impose new costs or limit flexibility in ways that directly affect charter school operations and students.
AB 84 (Muratsuchi) was amended and passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on a 4–2–1 roll call vote, with Senator Cabaldon (D–Napa) abstaining. The amendments should be made public over the weekend, after which the bill heads to the Senate Floor.
One expected change is the removal of Section 43, which would have prohibited charter schools from allocating funds for educational enrichment to anyone who is not directly employed by the school. This provision was a major concern for nonclassroom-based/ flex-based schools that rely on partnerships with outside vendors to provide enrichment opportunities for students. While its removal would be an important step forward, other issues such as funding determinations, authorizer accountability, and mandated costs to implement the bill – including increased audit requirements, record-keeping, and expanded oversight – remain unresolved.
SB 414 (Ashby) also advanced, passing out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and heading to the Assembly Floor.
These bills were introduced in response to high-profile concerns about fraud in the charter school sector.
AB 84 was first introduced in December as a massive “charter killer” bill, presented under the guise of fraud prevention but sweeping far beyond that purpose in ways that would have severely harmed charter schools and restricted student access to public school options.
SB 414, by contrast, represents the charter school community’s response: a much more focused and narrow approach that addresses fraud directly without undermining educational choice or student opportunities.
Thank you to those of you who have already engaged in advocacy. Your calls and emails have strengthened our position and put us in a place to fight for changes that will protect California’s schools and students.
I will be meeting at 12pm on Wednesday, September 3 at 12pm with Taylor Brown, assistant to Megan Dahle, to share the important work we are doing at Arete Charter Academy!
