Buildings in Hand, Church Leaders Float Charter Ideas

By Lynn Schnaiberg

To the Rev. Michael Pfleger, charter schools seem a natural fit.

The Roman Catholic priest serves a predominantly African-American community on Chicago's South Side. His parish school, St. Sabina, already enrolls more non-Catholics than Catholics among its 550 pre-K-8 students. The school is financially sound, he says, but many families cannot afford the $2,300-a-year tuition.

Hoping to expand the neighborhood's school options, Father Pfleger has discussed shutting down St. Sabina and, in its place, opening a publicly funded charter school run by a nonprofit board, possibly with links to the parish...