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From Page A-l

apply to form a charter school and the school division would be required to provide space for approved charter schools on a priority basis. Charters would have to be renewed occasionally—the report recommends no more frequently than every five years—and charters may be revoked at any time if the conditions specified in the charter are not being met.

Del. Katzen, a strong Supporter of charter schools, said that although opponents of charter schools feel that supporting the formation of these schools would be an abandonment of public education, by promoting competition for the existing public school system, “It’s faithful to our wish to improve public schools.”

Another potentially volatile issue raised in the commission’s report is that of Family Life Education. The interim report recommends that Family Life Education, which includes topics such as sex education, prevention of drug and alcohol abuse, and basic social skills, become an opt-in program rather than an opt-out one.

The commission’s report says that a comprehensive, mandated family life education program in kindergarten through grade 12, “contradicts the principle of local control of education by prohibiting parents and citizens in each school dijvision from deciding whether they want this type of family life education program in their schools. ”

The recommendation would allow each school division to decide whether or not to offer family life education. Additionally all students who wish to take family life education courses would have to first turn in a permission slip signed by their parents.

The commission will continue to study all the areas of reform and to develop more specific recommendations and legislation based on the interim report. A final report is expected nextsummer.