Worcester Public Schools Lose $22 Million Annually to Charter Schools
Friday, June 19, 2015
A review of the FY2016 cost and aid projections for charter schools and the school districts they reside in shows that Worcester will pay more than $22 million in local charter school tuition payments over the course of the next fiscal year.
“I believe that public education is to provide the best education as possible in the schools and encourage parents to have the Worcester Public Schools as their school of choice. Charter schools receive public money based on the number of students they enroll and it is a drain on public education, without a doubt,” said School Committee member and GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™ John Monfredo. “They use public funds without public oversight (elected school committee) and because of state control, local communities are denied the ability to reject them.”
SEE SLIDES BELOW: Central MA School Districts That Lose the Most Money to Charter Schools
"In addition, fewer low-income students, fewer students with special needs, fewer English Language Learners and students with severe disabilities attend charter schools," Monfredo added. "Also, many charter schools have high attrition rates and thus underperforming students are sent back to the public schools."
As part of Massachusetts legislation - Chapter 46 and Increased Tuition Aid - districts receive aid when charter school tuition increases and for first year students that enter a charter school from a private school or from being home-schooled.
In FY2016, Worcester will receive roughly $2.6 million in aid to help offset the $22 million in costs.
“Charter schools hinder public school budgets because a whole new set of administration, teachers, supplies, and more is needed,” Brian Allen, Chief Financial & Operations Officer of the Worcester Public School District told GoLocalWorcester. “Having stand-alone school districts are taking away funding from the public schools around them. I don’t believe that this is the most effective way to have tax dollars spent.”
How Does This All Work and At What Cost?
“The idea of a charter school back in the 1990’s was that they were going to be innovative, be a model for the public schools and run by teachers. It didn’t happen. If you look at the Worcester Public Schools we have eight innovative schools that have great autonomy over curriculum and have been most successful,” said Monfredo.
Massachusetts law requires that the public school district pay for a student that chooses to attend a charter school rather than a public school.
“The reimbursement system pays the public school district for a total of six years,” Dominic Slowey, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association told GoLocalWorcester. “That is six years that a district is being paid by the state where they are not required to educate the student.”
Tuition is based on the average funding per student of a school district. Charter schools use the money to pay for teachers, equipment, books, etc. From the state, charter schools receive funding in the form of facilities aid since these schools are not eligible for funding from the School Building Administration.
Across the state, a projected $422 million will be spent by school districts to keep charter schools up and running in FY2016. The state in turn will reimburse the districts $76 million in aid.
Since FY2007, the payment of the school districts in the Commonwealth has risen from $206 million to $422 million. The average annual charter school tuition has gone up from $10,486 to more than $13,000 over that same period.
Funding for Charter School Facilities in Massachusetts - Graph Courtesy of Massbudget.org.
These rising costs to public school district don’t seem to be slowing down and may get much more expensive in the future.
According to pre-enrollment data from the DESE for the 2015-2016 school year, nearly 3,400 students in Massachusetts students will be entering Pre-K or Kindergarten at charter schools this September.
In Worcester, pre-enrollment in those grades is just over 200 students - adding to the nearly 2,000 students in the city that already attend charter schools.
Sides Taken on Charter Schools and Funding
Abby Kelley Foster Charter School
The state currently has a cap on how many charter schools can be open and has a very thorough and strict process of approval for those trying to open a charter school.
“It’s wrong for any of us to stand on a front porch or in a city neighborhood sympathizing with a mom or dad when they tell us their child is not getting the education to succeed in life and then oppose lifting the charter school cap or making the changes we need to ensure that every school is great,” added Baker.
“Parents should be able to choose where their child and where their tax dollars are going,” said Slowey. “The tension between charter schools and public schools almost always comes down to money. Because of the formula and the way the system works, Worcester hasn’t been gaining or losing money because the amount of students leaving has remained relatively unchanged.”
Monfredo believes that charter schools are doing more harm than good to the city’s public schools. Monfredo said, “Charter schools typically pay their teachers less for longer hours and have a high teacher turnover. Charters, as they exist, have added to the eroding of public schools and an investment opportunity for those who see education as a business rather than an institution of democratic civic life and learning. We need to put the brakes on charter expansion and work on providing excellent public schools for all of our students and be given the necessary resources. We need to have our elected officials fix the funding mechanism that fund our public schools.”
Related Slideshow: Central MA School Districts with Most Money Lost to Charter Schools
Related Articles
- Central MA School Districts with Most Money Lost to Charter Schools
- Study: MA Charter Schools Outperforming District Schools
- Public or Private: Charter Schools Can’t Have It Both Ways
- Julia Steiny: Should Struggling Districts Follow the Lead of Charter Schools?
- Julia Steiny: Part 1 – Intro to the Advanced Math and Science Charter Charter School
- Central MA’s #7 School: Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School
- Charter School Bill Passed in MA House; Debate Rages
- MA Charter School Association Skeptical of Teachers Unionizing
- MA Gubernatorial Candidates Stand Up For Central MA Charter School
- Charter School Cap Ruling a Victory for Worcester Public Schools
- Charter Schools Depleting Funding From MA Public School Budgets
- Charter School Cap Debate Rages on as Senate Caucus Debates Bill
Follow us on Pinterest Google + Facebook Twitter See It Read It