Amy Corston

am writing to strongly oppose HB 1358. Public schools are the backbone of our community. Currently, converting a public school to a charter school requires a deliberate process involving school board approval and a two-thirds majority vote. HB 1358 seeks to dismantle these safeguards by allowing a simple majority vote to trigger a permanent change in governance, bypassing the local meetings where neighbors discuss long-term impacts on children and taxes. Furthermore, I am deeply concerned that this hearing was scheduled during school vacation week. This timing limits the ability of the parents and teachers affected by this bill to be present. I urge the committee to vote Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL) on HB 1358.