The charter school movement began in earnest in North Carolina in 1997 when 34 schools opened across the state. There are now 200 charter schools in operation. The 1996 Charter School Act established the system of tuition-free, public schools that are not bound by many of the rules as traditional public schools. The act was sponsored by Sen. Wib Gulley, a Democrat from Durham, and Rep. Steve Wood, a Guilford County Republican. These days there’s less bipartisanship about charter schools, although Democrats are more likely not to support them than are Republicans. Conservatives tout charters as school choice options that help families flee low-performing schools. Progressives say they siphon money and resources from traditional public schools, and have an advantage because they don’t have to follow the same rules as traditional public schools.