The Utah Board of Education voted Thursday to support a bill that repeals its authority to approve or deny new charter schools, as long as the bill is amended to grant board members new powers to appoint members of the State Charter School Board.
Under current law, the Utah Board of Education nominates candidates for two of the charter board’s seven seats, with the final decision resting with the governor.
The state school board was previously divided on the bill, with some members questioning its constitutionality while others argued that the growth of Utah charters had made the alternative schools cumbersome for the board to oversee.