Boise Group Plans Charter School

Teachers and parents might open their own public school in Boise as soon as this fall using a charter schools proposal that is moving through the Legislature.

A dozen people have spent the last 18 months designing a curriculum around putting children of several ages in a single classroom and pairing students with the same teacher for more than a single school year.

They are waiting for approval of the legislation so they can start negotiating with the Boise School Board, which must sign off on any local charter schools.

The legislation has been approved by the House of Representatives and is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate today.

The charter schools bill allows people to start their own school, complete with a separate board of directors and curriculum.

Those working on the school hope to open it with 150 students in kindergarten through the fifth grade.