Charter school funding bill clears state Senate panel

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — A House bill previously addressing the public’s use of school playground equipment has been gutted in the Senate and replaced with changes to how school district funds are distributed to North Carolina charter schools.

A divided Senate Finance Committee voted Monday for the updated measure, which would count more categories of local district funds as those that must be shared with charter schools on a per-pupil basis. Districts already must move funds from their “local current expense fund” to a charter school when a district student transfers to the school.

The bill also says per-pupil portions of supplemental tax revenues generated for school district operations must be transferred to a charter school even if the school is outside the supplement tax district.

The measure next goes to the Senate floor.

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