PA House Panel Advances Charter School Bills Despite Strong Democratic Opposition

By Dave Fidlin | The Center Square

Sharp party lines again were drawn this week as a Pennsylvania House panel wrangled over a package of charter school bills covering a range of issues, including facilities use and a formal application process as new entities emerge.

The House Education Committee took up a package of four bills, all of which are advancing to the full legislature. Proponents of the bills say they are designed to strengthen Pennsylvania’s charter school law.

The division on display comes on the heels of last week’s 111-85 vote, largely down party lines, on House Bill 800, which doubles the scope of the state’s school choice program by lifting a $100 million cap and increasing the threshold to $210 million.

At a committee meeting, two of the House bills – 356 and 357 – drew strong dissension from the Democratic minority, whose 10 members voted against both proposals.

HB356, sponsored by Rep. Matthew Dowling, R-Uniontown, is a reform for facilities regulations related to charters.

As proposed, it includes such provisions as giving charters the right of first refusal for the purchase or lease of unused school district buildings. It also requires school districts to make facilities available to cyber charter school students for such purposes as standardized testing.

During deliberations at Monday’s committee meeting, however, several Democrats on the committee weighed in and criticized HB356. Among them was Rep. James Roebuck, D-Philadelphia, who said he had a “major concern” with the proposal.

“I would urge we vote against it,” said Roebuck, who serves as the committee’s minority chair.

Rep. Stephen McCarter, D-Glenside, also aired reservations.

“I think this backdoor attempt at expansion would be a disservice to students and taxpayers,” McCarter said. “The expansion (of charters) could wind up costing the 501 school districts across Pennsylvania a significant amount of money.”

HB357, sponsored by Rep. Jesse Topper, R-Bedford, is aimed at creating a uniform application and charter process.

“This is another attempt … to siphon money from public education,” Roebuck said.

But Topper defended the bill, saying it is an attempt at mitigating the current situation across Pennsylvania, which he likened to “the wild west” since protocol varies from one section of the state to the next.

“I do think it’s important to have a process,” Topper said.

The other House bills before the committee – 355 and 358 – received minimal discussion and passed along party lines.

HB355 advanced on a 24-0 vote. As proposed, it outlines ethics requirements for charter trustees and administrators.

HB358 was forwarded on a 23-1 vote, with McCarter being the dissenter. The draft legislation would allow charter schools, regional charter schools and cyber charter schools to offer dual enrollment programs to their students.

The party divide was a topic discussed throughout the committee meeting, and several lawmakers said they believed the issue before them is an increasingly important one.

“This is not an easy subject, but it’s an important subject,” said Rep. Rosemary Brown, R-East Stroudsburg. “I think it’s time we push this issue and get this right.”