The School District of Philadelphia and the School Reform Commission do not have the power to enforce enrollment limits on charter schools, the Commonwealth Court has ruled.

A split five-judge panel ruled Thursday that the SRC does not have the authority to suspend a law prohibiting school districts from capping enrollment levels at charter schools. In Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School v. School District of Philadelphia, the Commonwealth Court upheld the trial court's decision.

“School district's argument presumes that Section 696(i)(3) [of the Public School Code of 1949] gives the SRC broad discretion to suspend the entire school code, with certain limited exceptions. We disagree with this premise,” said Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt, writing for the majority. “Section 696(i)(3) does not give the School Reform Commission carte blanche to rewrite the terms of public school education in Philadelphia for schools it operates and for charter schools operated by a board of trustees.”