Charter school bill dies Thursday in Pierre

It looks like a bill that would provide for the creation and funding of Native American community-based charter schools has finished it's time in Pierre.

After earlier getting unanimous approval in the Senate, the bill did not receive enough votes to bring it to the house floor and was killed in the House Education Committee Wednesday.

Legislators tried to revive the bill and send it to the full house floor this afternoon, but that ultimately failed.

District 26 Senator Troy Heinert said the bill received no nay votes until yesterday but is hopeful about the future of this bill.

"We have to do something, nothing is an option and maybe we relook at the criteria or what we were asking to do," says Heinert. "Maybe we bring school boards in and see what their thoughts are, how they could possibly change, what they do at a local level right now."

Heinert says this bill was complex and something completely new in South Dakota.