New York State Looks at Doubling Cap on Charter Schools

But they are also contemplating changes that some charter school advocates, including the New York City schools chancellor, Joel I. Klein, oppose. Among the changes is a proposal to withdraw Mr. Klein’s ability to approve new charter schools.

The Obama administration is offering a total of $4 billion in federal grants to states that show the most progress in overhauling education, including easing restrictions on the growth of charter schools.

Applications for the first round of grants in the competition, known as the Race to the Top, must be submitted in Washington by 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Neither the State Senate nor the Assembly is scheduled to be back in session until Tuesday, so they will have only a few hours to agree on a bill.

New York State currently caps the number of charter schools at 200, and the schools, which are publicly financed but privately run, have become a flash point in the state’s application for the grants.