BOISE -- Legislation headed to the Idaho House would lift the state's cap on charter schools while also allowing more than one to open within the boundaries of a traditional school district each year.
The House Education Committee voted 12-5 on Wednesday to advance the measure amid opposition from the statewide teachers union, the Idaho School Boards Association and the Idaho Association of School Administrators.
Supporters of the bill say Idaho's charter school law is outdated and harmed Idaho efforts to secure federal grant money for the state. They also point to a charter school waiting list that includes an estimated 7,000 students.
But critics say Idaho's scarce education dollars are already stretched thin and now is not the time to expand the public education system with more charter schools.
