Senate Bill 6194, Concerning public schools that are not common schools. Passed the Senate on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 by a vote of 27-20 Under this bill, charter schools in Washington would remain open and would be funded by constitutionally valid sources. The state supreme court ruled last year that charter schools should not receive public money from the state general fund, because the court does not consider them “common schools” governed by an elected school board. The bill’s provisions respond to the court’s ruling by changing the definition and funding source for charter schools. The innovative public schools would no longer be defined technically as “common schools” and would be funded through the Washington Opportunity Pathways account, which receives money from the state lottery

This amendment would have repealed the charter school commission and provides that if the schools that had contracted with the commission wish to continue operating as a charter school, they must contract with the board of the school district in which they are located. The school district boards would then have to follow the same requirements established by the State Board of Education as for any other school.