Advocates Seek To Broaden Calif. Charter Schools Law

It could take another year before California lawmakers are ready to raise the cap on charter schools or pass other measures that would liberalize the state's charter school program, a top legislator said last week.

Nonetheless, charter school supporters are mustering a full-scale legislative effort to broaden the state's 4-year-old experiment with the publicly funded schools that are free from most state rules and regulations.

"On a grassroots level, we're gaining momentum," said state Sen. John R. Lewis, a Republican who is sponsoring four charter school bills. "We have waiting lists for virtually every charter...