Philadelphia City Council last night had a lively public hearing on proposed legislation that would cap enrollment for the city’s charter schools.  The proposal led to several sharp exchanges between school district CEO Dr. Arlene Ackerman, who supports the cap, and Councilman Bill Green, who most decidedly does not.

At the heart of the debate is the issue of whether or not the city, which provides about $700 million annually in funding to the school district, has any explicit authority to put a cap on charter school enrollment.  Conflicting views of current state law seem to be held on each side. 

Twenty charter school representatives were at the meeting to testify, as well as charter school advocate Senator Anthony “Hardy” Williams, who made it known that while the issue is on the table in Philly, it will likely get solved 90 miles to the west, in Harrisburg.

Williams’ colleagues and respective Majority and Minority Chairs of the Senate Education Committee, Jeff Piccola and Andrew Dinniman, have pledged to introduce a bill that would overhaul the state’s charter school law.  If past is precedent, there will be a move by some in Harrisburg to include language that caps enrollment, which would effectively take the issue out of local hands. Virtually every local school superintendent sees charter schools as an unwanted financial drain on his or her district budget and will, thus, fight hard for tough, enforceable caps on charter enrollment.

In any case, this border skirmish over charter schools in Philadelphia is poised to become a much broader fight when the Senate begins its hearings on the Piccola/Dinniman bill.  Oh, and just in case anyone had forgotten, the House of Representatives, that diverse and cantankerous body, has not even begun to weigh in yet.