New Jersey approves single-gender charter schools

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey has approved allowing single-gender charter schools in the state.

The state education board OK'd the change on Wednesday to allow charter schools for only boys or only girls if they can prove a compelling reason for limiting enrollment based on gender.

NJ.com reports (http://bit.ly/2tLVNab) that the change is part of a series of updates to the state's charter school law proposed by Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

There is already an all-boys and all-girls public school in Newark. Charter school operators have proposed all-boys charter schools in Atlantic City and Paterson.

Other updated rules approved by the board Wednesday include allowing charter schools to guarantee that students who attend pre-K can also attend for kindergarten. And renovations can now be paid for with state and local taxpayer money.