http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5678486.html
Texas Education Agency officials say that nearly half of the state's charter schools have incorrectly reported student attendance, resulting in $26 million in undeserved payments. The $26 million comes from 93 of the 211 charter operators in Texas. The amount equals the average state funding for about 4,800 students at roughly $5,400 per student. Officials do not expect to recover at least $9 million of the debt because 20 schools ceased operations before repaying the state. They say that while traditional schools make similar errors, there is more of an incentive for charter schools to inflate enrollment statistics. "There is a kind of perverse incentive for a charter school in financial distress to look at (attendance inflation) as a way to get more money," said Lisa Dawn-Fisher, deputy associate commissioner for school finance. "If they can't get the warm bodies in the building, they may feel an incentive to falsify records." State charter advocates say most charters are led by dedicated staff providing a good choice for students who do not fit into traditional school systems. "Unfortunately, the public just hears about a very small percentage that's done something poorly, just like with public schools," said Katie Howell, executive director of the Resource Center for Charter Schools.
Source: Houston Chronicle
Date: 04/06/2008
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