This bill would allow school committees as part of a commonwealth charter school’s renewal process (which occurs every five years) to vote to incorporate the charter school into the public school system. If the school committee opted not to include it, the commonwealth charter school would continue operating outside the public system under its own board of trustees. Passage of House Bill 2487 would in no way commit a school committee to a particular course of action. It would simply provide communities with additional educational choice.

In accordance with the Education Reform Act of 1993, the primary purpose of establishing charter schools was to "stimulate the development of innovative programs within public education." Charter schools were to receive a five year charter, which was deemed time enough to explore various methods of teaching and learning. Educators agree that the only way to tell if innovations are replicable is to bring a charter school into the mainstream system, where it can meet all the mandates placed on district schools.

A commonwealth charter school incorporated into the public system might become a magnet school, stressing a particular theme and attracting students from across a district or region. It might become a new neighborhood school. Or it might function much like a Horace Mann charter school, which has autonomy over its budget, staffing, curriculum, and governance, yet is democratically accountable to the community.

Local accountability is increasingly important in light of repeated findings by the state Inspector General of financial mismanagement at several commonwealth charter schools and the department of education’s continued "lack of adequate oversight." In addition, passage of this bill would accomplish at least two other important goals. Enrollment at these schools would be opened to a broader range of children, particularly bilingual and special needs students who have not been well served in commonwealth charter schools. Secondly, inclusion in the public system would end the divisiveness that has marked the commonwealth charter initiative in many communities. As part of the public system, a school’s costs would be openly debated and agreed on like any other local education expense.

Bringing commonwealth charter schools into the public system would fulfill the vision of many school reform activists who view this option as part of the natural evolution of education reform in Massachusetts.

Passage of this bill will require strong grassroots support. Opposition is anticipated from charter school parents, who may view school committee oversight as a threat to the "gated-community" status of their schools, and by education management companies who may see this legislation as limiting profit opportunities in public education.