Byline: Charlie Hall

Jan. 17--ARAPAHOE -- North Carolina's charter schools are lobbying state lawmakers to include them in the educational payout from the upcoming lottery.

The charter schools also want to get construction funding, although those kinds of monies were not included when the 100-school system was established in 1996.

Arapahoe Charter School is among 11 schools hosting press conferences Wednesday in conjunction with North Carolina Students for Equitable Lottery Funding.

Grady Simpson, the school's administrative director, said the distribution is not equal.

"What they have done is left the public charter schools out of the formula," he said. ...