Charter schools are public schools governed by boards of parents, teachers and community members. They receive state and local money but are not under the control of a local school board, though they need local board approval to open.

The new bill would take the local school boards and local money out of the equation. It also would give charter schools more flexibility, control and ability to apply for more federal money.

"What we have currently is a half-baked effort to achieve those same goals," said David Church, executive director of the S.C. Association of Public Charter Schools.

State Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau, introduced a bill in the Senate on Wednesday to set up a state charter school-approval board. Speaker of the House David Wilkins, R-Greenville, and Speaker Pro Tem Doug Smith, R-Spartanburg, are working on a companion bill in the House.

Grooms has been working behind the scenes to get bipartisan support. "We are not creating charter schools in this state as fast as our neighbors," he said. "This bill addresses that. It's a good bill."

The plan, similar to one Gov. Mark Sanford has long supported, would allow groups to approach the state to receive a charter, bypassing the local school board.

"The governor's been beating the drum for school choice for over three years now," said Will Folks, spokesman for the governor. "It's encouraging that other folks are starting to pick up the beat. He believes fundamentally that giving parents more options means giving kids more opportunities."

South Carolina's charter school law was amended in 2002 to create a state advisory board to review applications. But final approval was still left up to the local school board, with a chance to appeal to the state Board of Education.

"People who want to start a charter school have a tough hurdle to overcome," Wilkins said.

About 41 states had charter school laws in 2003, according to Education Week. Some states, such as Arizona, California and Florida, have hundreds of charter schools. North Carolina has 93; Georgia has 35.

South Carolina has 19 charter schools this year and five charter schools are scheduled to open in the coming school year. Charleston County has five charter schools. The Center for Education Reform gave South Carolina a "C" grade on its charter school law and ranks it 22nd.

The local school board should have final approval when local money goes to charter schools, said Paul Krohne, executive director of the S.C. School Boards Association.

"As long as there are going to be monies taken away out of the traditional school program to support a charter school, the local school board should have the opportunity to review and approve these alternatives to traditional schools," he said.

Districts also need to know that the curriculum at charter schools matches well with what is taught in a district's other schools, since students attending the charter schools will eventually attend a public school in that district, he said.

If the state is going to approve charters, it should fund them as well, Krohne said.

Groups that would go through the state would receive only state money.

Local money is one of the main impediments to more charter schools in the state, said House Ways and Means Chairman Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston. Local school boards are asked to approve a school that will take money away from them.

"Local school boards should not oppose this plan, because it doesn't take any money away from them," Harrell said.

Wilkins said the House bill could be introduced as early as today. There is an April 15 deadline for filing bills in the House.

House Minority Leader James Smith, D-Columbia, said he has not seen the bill. "But I suspect if it's similar to the governor's, then it will continue to undermine public education in the state," he said.

Smith said he is a proponent of charter schools, as long as they don't take away from public schools.

Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-North Myrtle Beach, said the bill should take the politics out of the decision-making process. "It will be a step forward for education in South Carolina."

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