On average, the funding gap between charter schools and traditional schools is 22 percent, or $1,800 per pupil. The average charter school ends up with a total funding shortfall of nearly half a million dollars.
Source: Charter School Funding: Inequity’s Next Frontier
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National Charter Schools Conference Program Now Online During National Charter Schools Conference
The 124 sessions to be presented at the 2007 National Charter Schools Conference are available for viewing online at the conference website. Conference strands include: Charter School Design; Instruction and Leadership; Charter School Funding, Facilities and Finance; Performance and Accountability; Advocacy and Messaging; Policy Environment; Governance and Operations; and State of the Movement. Keynote speakers include US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, Newsweek Magazine Editor Jon Meacham, and Kevin Johnson Founder of St. HOPE Public Schools. Register today to join 3,000 colleagues in Albuquerque, New Mexico April 24th–27th to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the charter school movement. For questions, call 206-463-3344 or e-mail nationalconference@publiccharters.org.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (03/01/2007)
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New York Charter Supporters Applaud Governor's Call for More Charter Schools
In his first State of the State address, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer announced: "We must raise the charter school cap. Not only must we invest in what we know works today, we must continuously experiment with new approaches. Charter schools can play a critical role here." In return, he called for more funding for districts to compensate for state aid lost when students transfer to charter schools. The existing statutory cap of 100 charter schools was reached last year. In June, the State Senate approved legislation to raise the cap to 250, but the legislation was not enacted. Peter Murphy of the NY Charter Schools Association and other advocates are encouraged by Spitzer's speech. "I think it sends a strong message of hope to children across the state that he is backing the expansion of what is a successful public education reform," Murphy said.
Source: Capital News 9, (01/05/2007)
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Maryland's Highest Court Agrees to Hear Charter School Funding Case
The Maryland Court of Appeals has agreed to hear a charter school funding case, accepting an appeal filed by the Baltimore city school board. The court will decide whether local boards must give charter schools the same amount of cash as they spend on regular district schools. Baltimore spends the equivalent of about $11,000 per student in its regular public schools, while charter schools receive $5,859 per student in cash and the rest in district services, such as special education and food. Two city charter schools appealed that formula to the state school board in 2005, saying it limited their ability to choose how to provide services. The state school board, as well as the state's second-highest court, the Court of Special Appeals, ruled in the charter schools' favor. The city school system has appealed that decision and is waiting for the upcoming Court of Appeals ruling.
Source: Baltimore Sun, (01/05/2007)
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DC Mayor Proposes Shifting Sole Responsibility of Charters to the DC Public Charter School Board
On January 4, District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty proposed a significant restructuring of the D.C. public school system that would give him ultimate authority, create an independent agency in charge of a $2.3 billion construction budget and establish an ombudsman to investigate complaints from parents. "There have been decades of failure," Fenty said. "There can be no more delay, no more broken promises." Fenty's legislative proposal describes significant changes, including giving line-item budget control to the DC Council and consolidating responsibility for all of the city's charter schools solely under the D.C. Public Charter School Board. The nine-seat Board of Education would be restructured as a "state board of education," losing its authority in overseeing day-to-day operations, but retaining its policymaking role.
Source: Washington Post (free registration required), (01/05/2007)
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Proposed Charter School in Former "Brown V. Board of Education School" Denied
The Topeka, Kansas school board has denied a charter proposal which sought to make use of the historic Sumner Elementary school building. School developers said they still will fight to develop charter programs at Sumner Elementary, a Brown v. Board of Education landmark. The board rejected three charter proposals. "There were just too many things at this point, months away from the possibility of opening one or more of these charters, that need attention," board member Ned Nusbaum said. Lassiter said she planned to respond to the reasons cited for rejecting the plans and hoped to keep the proposals alive before a Feb. 1 deadline when locally-approved plans must be turned in to the Department of Education for consideration by the state board. If that fails, Lassiter said she will lobby lawmakers to create a process for appealing rejections by local boards.
Source: Kansas City Star, (01/04/2007)
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New Model Shows Illinois Charter Schools Create Millions of Dollars in Economic Growth for Communities
The Illinois Network of Charter Schools has produced a forecasting model that demonstrates that charter schools spur millions of dollars in economic growth for the communities that host them, particularly in areas where regular public schools perform poorly. The Illinois-specific model, called the Charter Impact Projector, shows substantial benefits to communities when high-performing charter public schools are created, including higher graduation rates, increased tax revenue, decreased social spending, and higher real estate values. The Network hopes that the model will help overcome the resistance of some communities to support charters. "Business leaders have always known that great schools produce excellent future employees," said Doug Whitley of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. "And now, for the first time, this tool provides a window to the future, showing us the tremendous economic impact of great schools on our Illinois communities."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times, (01/03/2007)
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