Voters in Massachusetts have rejected a proposal that would have lifted the cap on the number of charter schools in the state.
The latest vote tally from The Boston Globe showed opponents defeated the proposal handily—about 62 percent (2,004,122 votes) to 38 percent (1,221,023).
Those working to defeat the measure argued that lifting the cap would "encourage charters to expand into cities and towns where they don’t exist now, taking critical resources away from successful public schools."
"Our public schools cannot afford to lose vital funding while we see programs cut and activities reduced," said Save Our Public Schools, a group campaigning to reject charter school expansion.
Great Schools Massachusetts, a group campaigning to lift the charter cap, expressed disappointment at the outcome.
"Although we are deeply saddened by the result, the work being done by Massachusetts best-in-the-nation public charter schools continues," the group said in a message on its web site. "These great schools will continue to provide a world-class education choices to children stuck in low-performing school districts. The creation of the charter movement, and the effort to reform a system that has changed so little in a hundred years isn’t easy, but the thousands of parents, teachers, and students that have fueled this movement will press on."
The initiative would have allowed 12 additional charter schools in Massachusetts every year, or allowed increased enrollment in existing charter schools.
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