California lawmakers debate AB 84 charter school reform bill

(FOX40.COM) — The California State Senate is set to vote on a bill expanding oversight of charter schools on Wednesday.

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In advance of the vote, lawmakers, students and advocates rallied in opposition to claiming it is an anti-student bill.

Over 100 people gathered at the state capital to urge lawmakers to reject Assembly Bill 84 around 8:30 a.m.

“AB 84 would impose a mountain of red tape on nonclassroom-based charter schools, including enrollment caps, funding penalties, and new layers of state-level bureaucracy,” said Assemblymember Josh Hoover.

However, backers of the bill say the proposal will provide more financial oversight and accountability for certain charter school programs.

This comes after a handful of charter schools across the state were found to have misused hundreds of millions of dollars of public money.

“Public schools are underfunded,” ESL teacher Celena Tasavia said. “Public adult education is underfunded. Why should all these charter schools get privileged over the others?”