RALEIGH - The State Board of Education approved new rules Thursday that will punish charter schools by stripping them of some of their state funding if they don't have enough licensed teachers.

The state will take away its share of the salary of the headmaster and then later for teachers until standards are met. Critics complain that would be overly harsh punishment that could force some charter schools to close.

For several years, 75 percent of the elementary school teachers and 50 percent of the middle school and high school teachers at charter schools needed to be licensed, or certified by the state.

The new policy puts financial consequences on charter schools to follow the licensure requirements.

If a school is still short as of Feb. 1, state officials would recommend closing it at the end of the school year.

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