Statewide charter school panel to vote on six proposals

SEATTLE – Washington’s statewide charter schools commission appears ready to approve six proposals for charter schools to open in the state.

The Charter School Commission posted online Monday afternoon its analysis on the proposals for 19 schools vying to be among Washington’s first charter schools.

Six schools met the commission’s standards for approval. The panel is scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss the proposals further and vote on the recommendations.

All of the recommended schools would be in Western Washington: two in Tacoma, two in Seattle and one each in Highline and Kent. All of the schools plan to open in fall 2015.

Three were proposed by out-of-state charter management organizations. One would be converted from a private school to a public charter school.

State voters in 2012 approved a charter-school measure that allows up to 40 independent public schools to open over five years. The earliest the first school was expected to open was fall 2014, but none of the schools on the approval list are aiming for that date.

Last week, Spokane Public Schools approved one other charter school – Pride Prep – which plans to open in 2015.