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RALEIGH – Charter schools throughout North Carolina could soon follow a new set of guidelines.

Thursday, the State Board of Education gave preliminary approval to some policy changes – and charter school leaders say they don’t like what they’re seeing.

The State Board of Education says it is time they streamline their charter school guidelines: from the application process through performance review.

But some say these changes aren't fair.

“They are not going to help underachieving charter schools that have a severe underachieving socioeconomic and demographic strain,” says Scott Owen, board member of Kestrel Heights Public Charter School in Durham.

Owen says the policies the board is considering, including a required composite performance score of at least 60 percent, is too high a bar for schools who cater to kids in need. He says it will mean many of the charter schools will lose their state charters.

“What's going to happen is these kids are going to be disproportionately going to be placed back into the overburdened traditional public school system,” says Owen. “Which unfortunately, albeit with the best intentions, are having below 60-percent progress.”

But some state school officials say these charter school policy changes are necessary as North Carolina fights to get federal race to the top dollars.

“It requires us to have in place high performance standards for charter schools,” says June Atkinson, state superintendent of public instruction.

Atkinson says North Carolina is fighting for up to $400 million from the federal government through the Race to the Top program, and high performing charter schools will help with that application process.

Owen says he understands the need for money, but thinks fair is fair.

“We need to know that the traditional public schools are going to be playing by the same rule book,” says Owen.

This was only the first reading by the state board, and should the policies get final approval, they would not go into effect until next school year.