Rep. Wray’s Raleigh Report

A number of substantive bills are working through our committees and will soon reach the House floor.

I want to let you know this week about one of them, Senate Bill 8, which I believe will damage the quality of our traditional public schools if it goes into law.

Thank you as always for your interest in state government. I hope you will be in touch with me if I can provide any service.

Education

Senate Bill 8 is now in the House of Representatives after being approved in the Senate and could come up for a vote during this coming week. This bill is more than an effort to merely lift the cap on the number of charter schools in North Carolina, as the title suggests. This bill would fundamentally change the oversight and funding of charter schools, and in doing so it would endanger the quality of education provided in traditional public schools.

I am joining with many of my colleagues to oppose this bill. If it becomes law, it will:

Allow charter schools to operate largely outside the purview of the State Board of Education and any accountability mechanisms, by establishing an independent charter school commission controlled by charter school advocates.

Siphon tens of millions of dollars from traditional public schools by allowing money for early childhood education, child nutrition and transportation to be diverted to charter schools, even though charter schools are not obligated to provide these services.

Give privately operated charter schools the right to use taxpayer money to pay for capital expenses, even while there is at least a $10 billion backlog in public school building needs.

Remove minimum attendance requirements for public schools, meaning that public money could subsidize the cost of home schooling or the education of very small private groups of individuals.

Limit student access by failing to require transportation, food service or guaranteed enrollment for students with special needs as other publicly funded schools must provide.

Fail to ensure that charter schools are making adequate academic progress.

Raise constitutional questions about whether the proposed charter school commission treads on the State Board of Education’s established constitutional duty to administer the free public schools of the state and whether it violates the Leandro decision, designed to assist poorer communities, by diverting resources from the traditional public schools and students who most need these resources.

Courts

A new bill approved unanimously in the House will provide men relief in some cases from child support payments if it is determined they were wrongly determined to be the father of the child. The bill (H55) spells out specific instances when the law would be applied. It now goes to the Senate.

Municipalities

I joined this week with many of my colleagues to protect the rights of people who live within our cities. I opposed bills that repealed annexations in Kinston and Lexington. Supporters of the bills argue that the annexations were involuntary and that they are being challenged in court. I voted against the bills because they create situations where people live on the fringes of a town and use the town’s resources, but are never called upon to help pay for those services. The residents of the cities then bear increased costs for transportation and public safety. (H5 and H37)

Please remember that you can listen to each day’s session, committee meetings and press conferences on the General Assembly’s website. Once on the site, select “Audio,” and then make your selection – House Chamber, Senate Chamber, Appropriations Committee Room or Press Conference Room.