Bluegrass Institute statement on passage of charter-school legislation

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The Bluegrass Institute has led the fight to empower Kentucky’s parents to have the option of choosing to enroll their children in public charter schools since the day it opened its doors in 2003.Tonight, the General Assembly completed passage of House Bill 520 allowing the creation of charter schools across the commonwealth beginning in the 2017-18 school year.

“We hope to see Kentucky children, especially those being left behind by a one-size-fits-all system – many of whom are disadvantaged and from lower-income homes – have the opportunity for the kind of charter-school education that will give them a chance to participate in the American dream of prosperity and a successful life,” Bluegrass Institute president Jim Waters said.

Passage of HB 520 makes Kentucky the 44th state with a charter school law. Currently, nearly 7,000 charter schools serve 3 million students nationwide.

“While the Bluegrass Institute will continue to work to encourage more innovation and options in our education system, passage of this bill does open the door to charter schools throughout the commonwealth,” Waters said. “By heeding the institute’s call to add authorizers – as the legislation does by including the mayors of Kentucky’s two largest cities as authorizers – lawmakers improved the chances of applicants opening high-performing charter schools where they are urgently needed the most.”

The Bluegrass Institute will work diligently to see that charter-school applications are fairly and seriously considered by local boards of education, which HB 520 designates as the lone authorizers in most school districts, he added.

For more information, please contact Jim Waters at jwaters@freedomkentucky.com, 859.444.5630 ext. 102 (office) or 270.320.4376 (cell).