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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Note: Please be aware that online publishers often change URLs or no longer provide access to articles after 7 days. If any of the below links no longer work, access the publishing newspaper and search the archives for the keywords in the subject matter. Good luck.
Public Charter Schools Celebrate National Charter Schools Week
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and public charter schools around the nation are hosting and participating in a series of activities this week to celebrate the growth and success of the public charter school movement. On May 6, public charter school principals and state public charter leaders from across the country will visit their representatives on Capitol Hill to share their personal stories of success and statewide news about public charter schools. Throughout the week and nationwide, public charter schools are participating in a dynamic video campaign called "See Us Growing Excellence" to vibrantly bring the faces and voices of public charter school students, teachers, parents, and leaders to federal and state policymakers. Schools are creating short videos and posting them on YouTube, and including email links with letters of support to their legislators. "This week is about demonstrating that quality public education can be supplied in a different way, that parents deserve an array of options to meet the unique needs of their children, and that charter school students, educators, and supporters have much to celebrate,” said Nelson Smith. "Every year we record new indicators that charter schools are offering viable, quality, public education options."
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (05/05/2008)
Also See
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North Carolina Public Charter Schools Want Access to Lottery Proceeds for Public Schools
While North Carolina's public charter schools receive state and local money for operating expenses, they cannot access public funds for school construction. State law sets aside 40 percent of net lottery proceeds for school construction, which are paid to counties based on a formula. Public charter schools are seeking access to those funds. However, it appears that there will be no action taken on the issue this legislative session. "We will not have an interim report," said Rep. Winkie Wilkins, who is chairman of the House Select Committee on the Legal Aspects of Using Lottery Proceeds for Charter School Funding. He announced last week that the committee's work has not advanced to the point of being able to report to the General Assembly when it returns to Raleigh for its short session on May 13. "We're still crawling," Wilkins said. "We have not learned to walk yet. ... We are absolutely not going to do anything in the short session."
Source: Burlington Times News, (05/03/2008)
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Colorado Public Charter School Financing Bill Advances in Legislature
Colorado's School Finance Act has received final approval from the Senate and includes a $10 million construction allocation to be shared by public charter schools statewide. An amendment that would have changed a funding formula and taken $4.5 million from public charter schools was stripped from the bill.
Source: Colorado Springs Gazette, (05/02/2008)
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New Hampshire Public Charter School Funding Bill Passes Another Hurdle
Late last week, New Hampshire state senators approved a stopgap funding bill that would help public charter schools survive until the activation of a bill guaranteeing them annual funding in 2010 was in effect. If passed, some public charter schools would receive an additional $2,700 per-pupil in funding for the 2008-2009 budget year. Rep. Ken Weyler has introduced an amendment that would make funding sustainable. The amendment makes an adjustment in current state aid for next year so there will be no additional money needed. "Every other state has figured this out and we need to do the same," said Susan Hollins, director of the New Hampshire Center for School Reform. The bill moves to the Senate Finance Committee for its final hurdle.
Source: Fosters, (05/02/2008)
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Bill to Extend Sunset Provision on New Public Charter Schools Moves Forward in Legislature
A proposal to extend the sunset provision for the creation of new public charter schools in Tennessee is advancing in the House. The legislation sponsored by Rep. Ulysses Jones Jr. unanimously passed the House Education K-12 Subcommittee last week. Currently, the provisions of the Public Charter Schools Act of 2002 is scheduled to sunset July 1, 2008, unless re-enacted or extended by the General Assembly. The bill would extend the sunset date to 2015. Charter schools "are essential in helping high priority schools and high priority students," Jones said.
Source: Memphis Daily News, (04/30/2008)
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New York Judge Denies State Comptroller Claim to Issue Audits on Public Charter Schools
A New York state judge ruled last week that Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office is permanently prevented from issuing audits on public charter schools, saying the office "lacks the authority" to do so. More than a dozen of public charter schools had sued schools DiNapoli's office after it initiated audits of their performance, arguing the audits were illegal and unnecessary given the current oversight public charter schools receive from both their authorizers and the state's education department. James Merriman, the chief executive officer of the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence, an advocacy group that joined the lawsuit, celebrated the decision. "It's a victory," Merriman said. "It's certainly a victory for charter schools, because they are free from the duplicative, unnecessary, unfair performance audits." DiNapoli vows to appeal the decision and win back the auditing power.
Source: New York Sun, (04/29/2008)
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Countdown to New Orleans: National Charter Schools Conference Less Than One Week Away (June 22-25)
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools will host the 2008 National Charter Schools Conference from June 22-25 in New Orleans, LA. "Still We Rise: Achieving Academic Excellence at Scale" is the conference theme, reflecting the growth of quality public charter schools across America. The theme has special resonance in New Orleans, which boasts the nation's largest percentage of public charter school enrollment. Register for the conference or apply to sponsor/exhibit at http://www.nationalcharterconference.org. The conference is the largest gathering of charter school operators and proponents in the nation. Major speakers at the conference include Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, actor and education activist Danny Glover, Alliance President Nelson Smith and Geoffrey Canada, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Harlem Children's Zone. Attendees will learn and share best practices, discuss national and state policy issues, have the opportunity to volunteer at local charter schools, and enjoy special events featuring New Orleans traditions, food and music! Questions? Call 206-463-3344 or e-mail nationalconference@publiccharters.org.
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, (03/01/2008)
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