Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 31, 1995                   TAG: 9501310159
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CHARTER SCHOOL BILL DIES

On Monday, the Education Committee of the House of Delegates killed a bill that would have authorized the creation of charter schools.

``I am pleased to hear that. We have serious concerns about charter schools,'' said Nelson Harris, chairman of the Roanoke School Board.

In the next year, Harris said, he hopes that the General Assembly will listen to local school officials' concerns about the experimental schools.

A similar bill is pending in a Senate committee. But even if the Senate passes that bill, Monday's vote makes it unlikely the House would approve it. Another legislative committee will consider a resolution to study charter schools for a year.

Frank Thomas, chairman of the Roanoke County School Board, said he doesn't necessarily object to the concept of a charter school. But the board opposed this year's bills because, he said, charter schools would not be under the board's control and public funds would be diverted from other county schools to finance the charter schools.

``If public funds follow the students into the charter schools, that would be a major concern,'' Thomas said.

The Salem School Board also opposed the charter schools bills.

The strongest attack on charter schools came from Roanoke City Council and Roanoke County Supervisor Bob Johnson. They sharply criticized state Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke County, who introduced the Senate's charter school bill with the backing of Gov. George Allen. They said Bell was out of touch with parents and voters and charged that charter schools would undermine regular public schools.

The House Education Committee also on Monday killed another bill supported by Allen to give localities the option of offering a sex education program.

Current state law requires localities to offer the sex education program. Students are automatically enrolled unless their parents ``opt out'' of the program.

On an 11-4 vote, the House panel killed a bill that would have made sex education a local option and also would have required parents to give permission for their children to participate.

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1995