Charter-school bill in doubt

Monday, June 30, 1997 | 11:05 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A bill requiring children who fail a screening test to complete kindergarten before entering first-grade has cleared the Assembly, but the future of a charter school plan appears in doubt.

By a 30-12 vote, the Assembly approved Assembly Bill 6, the mandatory kindergarten bill long sought by Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, who says it has a better chance to clear the Senate than in the past.

It doesn't take effect until 1999 and it takes into account many of the concerns of parents. About 89-90 percent of the children now go to kindergarten. But Giunchigliani said those kids that need the instruction the most don't make it.

Giunchigliani, a Las Vegas schoolteacher, said children who have kindergarten are more ready to learn when they enter first grade.

Under the bill, children must take a screening test before entering first grade. Those who fail must take kindergarten.

There will also be kits to provide kindergarten instruction for those parents who want to train their children at home.

Meanwhile, Assembly Education Committee Chairman Wendell Williams, D-Las Vegas, said the charter school bill that passed the Senate "is on life support." He said he does not believe his committee will pass the measure as it stands.

Williams said the compromise bill of Gov. Bob Miller and Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, is now in his committee.

"Obviously that is a bigger piece of reform than charter schools," Williams said.

"If charter schools was so important, Sen. Raggio would have put it in this package that he worked out with Miller," Williams said. "Obviously they don't think that is as important."

The Miller-Raggio bill allocates $27.5 million for computers, creates a new committee to write tougher standards, requires more testing of students and an evaluation of each school. A hearing was scheduled for today on that bill.

Williams said he plans to meet with Sen. Jon Porter, R-Boulder City, one of the architects of the charter school legislation. But at the same time, he has asked that a bill be drafted for the 1999 session to allow charter schools.

He said he wants a charter school law like Louisiana's, which is an experiment.

"If you have flexibility, smaller classes, all these things people say are so great in charter schools, then you have those successes and transform them into the traditional public school," Williams said. "It would not do any good to have successful charters that are not tied to the public schools.

"Right now the whole charter push is political. People want that because they think it will help education. But nobody has taken the time to hammer this out."

Williams called SB220 a "feel good" bill and said most people don't understand what the measure will do.

The bill would allow up to 25 charter schools with no more than 12 in a single county. It would allow groups to get together to form a school, possibly for a specialized course of study. But it would be illegal to prohibit students based on race or religion.

A group wanting to create a charter school would have to get approval from the local school board. If a charter was granted, the school would qualify for state aid on the same formula basis as the county in which it is located.