Charter School Backers Say They Received 100,000 Signatures For Ballot

BOSTON (AP) — Backers of a ballot question that would lift state-imposed caps on charter schools in Massachusetts say they've collected more than 100,000 signatures.

If certified, that would be well above the number of signatures needed to continue the process of putting the question on the 2016 state ballot.

Great Schools Massachusetts — which describes itself as a coalition of parents, educators, and community leaders — said if lawmakers don't take what it described as meaningful action on charter schools before the end of the legislative session, they will push ahead with the question.

Gov. Charlie Baker has proposed a bill to allow the state to add up to a dozen new or expanded charters each year outside of the existing cap on the schools, with a focus on high-need and low-income students.