Charter schools bill clears Kentucky Senate

The state Senate has approved a bill that would allow charter schools in Kentucky for the first time.

Kentucky is one of seven states that does not allow charter schools. House Bill 520 would let local school districts and the mayors of Louisville and Lexington authorize charter schools within their communities. The state Board of Education could overrule those decisions.

The proposal has already passed the House, but because the Senate changed the bill, the House must vote on it again. Under the House bill, if a student left a public school to attend a charter school, state tax dollars would follow that student, with some exceptions. The state Senate removed that language, raising questions as to how the schools would be funded.

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