Charter School battle heats up at State House
By Matt Blanchette
@mattblanchette
There is a very controversial topic bill in the State House that would put a hiatus on the formation of any new charter schools in RI and would require individual cities and towns to approve charters.
Currently RIDE processes applications for new charters. Both sides of the debate agree a lot is at stake.
Supporters both for and against the public charter school bill gathered in force at the state house Tuesday.
Supporters say the money follows the student system is taking away their resources and the current student funding formula is unfair.
“We are very concerned that the current charter laws are taxation without representation. It is a system we can’t afford and we need to fix,” Timothy Ryan of the RI School Superintendents Association said.
“Simply put in Cumberland the costs are going up at a rate that we just can’t keep up with,” Superintendent Phil Thornton said.
But those against the bill say it does not do anything to address funding, but will effectively end school choice in Rhode Island.
“A blunt instrument de facto moratorium permanent going forward is a bad solution,” Tim Groves of the RI League of Charter Schools said. “It is bad public policy. It doesn’t address the problem that even these folks are talking about.“
The group of school committee members and superintendents say the biggest disparity in funding relates to special needs students.
“And every time a student leaves a school system and that per pupil expenditure goes with that student, it includes 23 percent of the cost of special education. So almost a quarter of that per pupil cost is leaving the district and the district has to figure out a way to make that up,” Timothy Duffy of the RI Association of School Committees said.
Charters say they also have special needs students, at a similar ratio to public schools.
While against this bill, they are open to discussing the current funding formula.
“We are willing to come to the table. on both sides there are inequities. there are many things that we can talk about but we want to roll up our sleeves and talk about them and not have legislation that doesn’t address the formula that would be a death for the future of charter schools be enacted,” Groves said.
There are currently 18 charter schools in Rhode Island..
A19th to serve Woonsocket, North Smithfield and Burrillville was just approved.
If this bill passes… that school would not be able to open as planned in the fall.
