Mr. PETRI. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of this amendment and am pleased to be a cosponsor. Charter schools are a critical component of our Nation's public school system and are helping to foster an array of high-quality public school options for parents and their children. Today, more than 6,000 public charter schools serve a diverse student body of more than 2.3 million students in 40 States and the District of Columbia. Unfortunately, however, almost one million students find themselves on charter school waiting lists, unable to attend the school of their choice. We must do more to expand access to these high-quality public school options.
One recent study conducted by the Stanford Center for Research on Education Outcomes found that schools that have a strong start tend to remain highly successful schools in the future. The federal Charter Schools Program has been a crucial tool in helping many charter schools get this strong start. Unfortunately, however, many schools aren't able to use the funds provided through this program in ways that would be most effective for their students. This amendment would simply expand the ways in which charter schools can use the startup funds provided through this program, including for professional development, teacher training, instructional materials, and minor facilities improvements.
The amendment would also give priority to States that allow funding provided to charter schools to be shared when a student is enrolled in multiple schools. This flexibility will help support the growth of a wide array of high-quality virtual schools and other expanded learning opportunities provided through partner organizations.
Lastly, the amendment simply ensures that charter schools receiving funds under the federal Charter Schools Program are doing outreach to low-income and underserved populations. While charter schools often serve a disproportionate number of low-income students, this amendment will simply ensure that they continue to lead the way in providing access to high-quality public school options.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.