State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond has released the Charter Task Force Report of Recommendations to Gov. Gavin Newsom prior to the July 1 deadline.

In late February, Newsom requested that Thurmond convene a group of experts to examine the impact of charter school growth on district budgets and to provide a report with recommendations. The task force has been meeting regularly since early March and created a report with recommendations and proposals. Newsom will consider the information and decide how to proceed.

“It’s important to include both the areas where a consensus was reached, as well as the areas where a majority was reached, in order to show the depth that members were willing to go and the challenging and difficult conversations that occurred throughout this process,” Thurmond said. “The public deserves a transparent report, and one that also reflects honestly that there is more work to be done. The California Department of Education, under my leadership, will lead the efforts to provide solutions to the issues surrounding current standards, guidelines and authorization processes. We will continue working with legislators and stakeholders, as well as welcome the opportunity for public input, as we lead this next phase.”

The report focuses on the fiscal impact that charter schools have on traditional public schools, as well as the inconsistencies in how charter schools are authorized throughout the state. Recommendations were made to alleviate concerns in these areas and provide specific ways to address fiscal impact and authorization challenges.

Recommendations include extending the timeline to approve or deny a new charter school petition from 60 to 90 days. The report also recommends creating a statewide entity to develop standards, used by authorizers, for providing oversight to charter schools. The state agency would also provide training for authorizers.

For information and to read the full report, visit cde.ca.gov.