DATE: Wednesday, August 13, 1997            TAG: 9708130983
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 

DATELINE: RALEIGH                           LENGTH:   36 lines

N.C. SENATE GIVES FINAL OK TO CHANGES IN CHARTER SCHOOL LAW

The state Senate has given final approval to a compromise that irons out flaws uncovered in a law passed last year to create charter schools, a new type of public school free of many state guidelines.

The measure approved Tuesday 37-11 next heads to Gov. Jim Hunt for his signature.

``I will say that this charter school business is an experiment. It's a learning process for us all,'' Sen. Leslie Winner, D-Mecklenburg, said in support of passage.

Opponents argued the revisions go too far and allow charter school advocates too much freedom.

``We are supposed to have innovative things coming out of these'' charter schools, said Sen. Charlie Dannelly, D-Mecklenburg. ``If we were to run a bill that would allow all these variances allowed to charter schools to public schools . . . we would have a lot of innovative things happening in the regular public schools.''

The compromise would allow public schoolteachers who take jobs in charter schools to keep their state retirement benefits.

The number of places reserved for the children of school founders would be limited to 20 students or 10 percent of the student enrollment, whichever is smaller.

A prohibition against charter schools leasing space from religious institutions was dropped from the bill, but religious symbols must be removed from classrooms and hallways.

Charter schools would be allowed to use state money to lease buildings and to repay loans needed to buy equipment.

A statewide limit of 100 charter schools was retained.

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