70 applications received for new North Carolina charter schools

North Carolina education officials say they have received 70 proposals to open charter schools in August 2014. The Raleigh News & Observer says that is the largest number of applicants since the state’s first public charter school opened in 1997. More than 150 applicants submitted letters of intent in January to open in 2014, but less than half met the March 1 application deadline. The area that could be affected most is the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County school system; the state has received 19 applications for charter schools there.