According the Center for Education Reform, Iowa's charter school law has long been considered one of the weakest in the country and has been called a charter school law "in-name-only".  For a state that has historically been a leader in valuing quality schools, Iowa has been a laggard in embracing school choice reforms. In fact, under Iowa's existing charter school law in force for nearly a decade, fewer than 10 district-sponsored "charter" schools exist, and they are often hard to distinguish from their traditional district-run counterparts.  Recently, though a number of state leaders have acknowledged that if Iowa is to maintain its historical reputation for high-quality public education, it can no longer ignore the need for reform.

The Iowa House of Representatives took a bold step forward this week in adopting HF 585. The legislation permits greater latitude in the stated purposes for opening charters, broadens the list of entities that can sponsor charters to include institutions of higher education and nonprofits, and allows for charters to be opened in new facilities as opposed to being limited to only converting an existing attendance center.  Charter sponsors will make application to the school's district, but any denial by the district can be appealed to the state board of education.  The bill now goes to the State Senate where its fate is unclear, but the House vote marks the most significant victory for reformers in over a decade.