Proposed legislation would require voter approval for new charter schools - phillyBurbs.com : Burlington County Times: education, schools, charter schools, burlington county, willingboro

Proposed legislation would require voter approval for new charter schools - phillyBurbs.com : Burlington County Times: education, schools, charter schools, burlington county, willingboro:

Proposed legislation would require voter approval for new charter schools

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Posted: Friday, February 3, 2012 3:09 pm | Updated: 6:35 pm, Fri Feb 3, 2012.

By David Levinsky Staff writer | 0 comments

TRENTON — Voters in Willingboro could have a say in whether two new charter schools open this fall under a reform bill moving through the state Legislature.

The bill would require a local referendum to pass in any school district from which a proposed charter school would open or draw students.

The Assembly Education Committee voted 6-2 on Thursday afternoon to advance the legislation, along with a second bill that would impose several mandates on new and existing charter schools.

Charter schools are public institutions that open to all students on a space-available basis. They are funded by taxpayers but operate independently from the school districts from which they draw.

Burlington County's approved charters are the Riverbank Charter School in Florence, the Renaissance Regional Charter School in Wrightstown, the Benjamin Banneker Preparatory School in Willingboro, and the Willingboro Academy Charter School.

The state Department of Education has the sole authority