In his boldest move yet on the campaign trail, GOP mayoral candidate Joe Lhota today will call for doubling the number of charter schools here, The Post has learned.
In a speech this morning before the Association for a Better New York, Lhota will announce the dramatic proposal, setting himself apart from his Democratic counterparts who are loathe to offend the teachers union by pushing for more charters.
The city is home to 159 charters, according to the New York City Charter School Center. In the fall, the city plans to open 26 more. Albany has imposed a cap of 460 statewide.
“I am a big believer in charter public schools and so are parents, as evidenced by the wait lists to get in. Parents want and deserve more choices. Charter schools have successfully improved the education of tens of thousands of New York City children,” Lhota said.
The center said there are 56,000 students enrolled in city charters and another 52,900 on waiting lists.
Lhota’s Democratic rivals are far less friendly to charters, which have been a priority for the Bloomberg administration.