The House Rules Committee agreed to waive its requirements and accept House Bill 1642, which requires a school district like Portsmouth to pay tuition next fall for their kids at schools like Seacoast Charter School in Kingston or Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy in Barrington. Portsmouth would pay 80 percent of its own tuition rate to any charter school its kids attend, minus the state and federal support the charter already gets. Critics are warning the bill might impose an unconstitutional and unfunded mandate on taxpayers in the sending district.

The House Education Committee effectively killed a related bill to give charter schools $7,000 per student in state aid instead of the current $3,700. That's all Cocheco and Seacoast would have next year.

Rep. Kim Casey, D-Kingston, made the motion to retain her own bill for further study, typically the kiss of death for legislation. Afterward, she said HB 1642 gives these struggling schools a better chance to weather the 2008-2009 academic year. Governor Lynch warned lawmakers last week not to send him any new state spending proposals.