Senate Passes Charter School Bill

The Senate rode a bill that initially dealt just with substitute bus drivers to open up the development of charter high schools, but refused to allow a provision that would let Detroit keep its first class school district status onto the bus.
SB 1252 passed on a 20-18 vote, with Sen. Roger Kahn (R-Saginaw Twp.) being the only Republican crossing ranks to join the solid Democratic caucus against the bill.
The measure repealed a section of PA 1, 2008, that itself repealed a provision allowing charter schools to transfer property to another school.
The provision is seen as a way of encouraging the growth of charter high schools, but critics worried that the provision would be a way of getting around caps set on the number of charter schools authorized by universities.
Sen. Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland) said that legislators have wanted for some time to ensure that charter high schools are available for students who, in many cases, have gone to charter schools for their entire academic life.
There was also concern from critics that the provision coming on school count day, and on a day when Detroit officials fear that their school population will fall below 100,000 - the minimum number needed to maintain its status as the state's first class district - that the bill could be used to draw off more students from those schools.
Mr. Kuipers called attempts by Democrats to scuttle his amendment "repulsive."
But Senate Minority Floor Leader Buzz Thomas (D-Detroit), saying he supported the idea of charter high schools, tried and failed to win approval of an amendment that would designate a first class school as the largest district in the state no matter whether it had more than 100,000 students or not. Even if Detroit's student population falls below 100,000, it will still be three times the size of the next largest district, Mr. Thomas said.
As a first class district, Detroit schools have some privileges and protections that other districts do not have. If it falls out of that status other districts can compete for its students.
And while not saying falling out of first class status would provide the opportunity, Mr. Kuipers said that Detroit students had an opportunity to see real reform to improve their educations.