Steel says the bill is designed to stop the federal government from discouraging the opening of charter schools.
Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) recently announced a new bill that seeks to expand access to education for families.
Called the “Protecting Charter Schools from Federal Overreach Act of 2022,” the bill would stop federal bureaucrats from implementing regulations which would discourage opening up new charter schools.
The bill is in response to a new rule issued by the Department of Education that would mandate a community impact study, among other qualifications, before the school would be eligible for funding through the federal Charter Schools Program. Part of the burden of proof includes showing a need for the charter school to operate, creating a diversity plan, and mandating the charter school partner with local public schools for funding in state competitions.
“The federal government has no business restricting families’ options for their children’s education,” said Rep. Steel. “Parents, not teachers unions or DC bureaucrats, know what is best for their children, and we cannot allow the Administration to remove school choice as an option for countless families.”
Steel says her legislation will not permit the Secretary of Education from finalizing a proposed rule that would subject charter schools to “burdensome federal grant funding eligibility requirements.”
Statistics show that more than 3 million students attended charter schools during the 2020-21 school year, with more than 200,000 new students enrolling in the first full school year after COVID-19.
