NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Gov. Charlie Crist visited a North Lauderdale charter school on Friday morning to sign into law a new bill promoting school improvement and accountability.

Crist signed the School Improvement and Accountability Act into law at the North Broward Academy of Excellence.

"Basically, what it does is a wonderful thing. It gives more schools the opportunity, with the consent of the local district, as we set out in the charter school bill initially, to have the opportunity to become a charter school, to give remedial education for those who may need it, a further opportunity, another option, basically more choice," Crist said.

Choice and class size are important to James and Dorothea Clinton, whose son and daughter attend the academy.

"Public schools are overcrowded. You have like 40 students in one class. How are you going to recognize if a child is at a low level or a high level?" Dorothea Clinton said.

Charter Schools USA, a private company, paid for the $10 million school, which it runs. The company also runs 24 others in the state.

"It's a Title One school, so the majority of these students have free or reduced lunch. It means they come from families that need the economic help. But quite frankly, that's part of the program that charter schools need to focus on, is those kids who need the extra help," said Jonathan Hage of Charter Schools USA.

The North Broward Academy of Excellence received a "B" grade from the state Department of Education last year. When the new grades are released in a few weeks, school officials expect to receive an A.

The charter school is open to anyone, but there are 500 students on the waiting list. It has a full enrollment of 900 students.