Charter Schools Still Getting Fewer Dollars
This story has not changed. A new report out says that charter schools are still receiving fewer dollars per student than public school traditionalists.
Ball State researchers found the funding gap is still wide:
This time around, the Ball State researchers analyzed data for the 2006-07 school year, added in statistics for seven more states, and updated the methodology. At the state level, the new study found, public schools on average scored 19.2 percent more per pupil—or $2,247—than charter schools. That gap was no bigger than it was in 2002-03, according to the study, and a little smaller in some states.
In a smaller number of “focus” school districts, however, the researchers found that gaps had grown over the intervening five years. In those districts, public schools were getting an average of $3,727 more per student than the charter schools within their boundaries. And that disparity, the report says, is 4.6 percentage points wider than it was in 2002-03.
Although you might think that the funding gaps exist mostly because charters serve fewer special education students or poor pupils, this analysis suggests those aren’t the primary reasons for the disparities. The main problem, they say, is that charters get less access to public facilities funding and local district dollars.
In an update on the post, Debra Viadero says that the study takes into account the private funding that many charters get from foundations and other organizations.
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