More charters in Boston

Six more charter schools have been approved for Boston, and Gov. Paul Cellucci and Interim Education Commissioner David Driscoll are calling for abolishing the cap on the privately run, but publicly funded schools.

The latest approvals, signed off on by Governor Cellucci last week, bring the total statewide to 37 Commonwealth and six Horace Mann charter schools. While both types receive public funding, the Commonwealth charter schools do not have any oversight from local school officials or teachers unions.

Cellucci said he hoped the legislature would support a proposal to increase the number of Commonwealth charters to 90 over the next five years. "We don't think there should be a limit on innovation, competition and creativity," Cellucci said. The current cap would allow seven more Horace Mann charter schools, but no more Commonwealth charters.

Nearly 10,000 students currently attend charter schools and another 7,000 are on waiting lists.