Charter School Funding: Why Do Charters Get Less Per Pupil?
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published here by The 74 on January 8, 2019. It was written by Patrick J. Wolf, a distinguished professor of education policy at the University of Arkansas. Corey A. DeAngelis is an education policy analyst at the CATO Institute. Larry D. Maloney is president of Aspire Consulting. Jay F. May is founder of and senior consultant to EduAnalytics.
We think it’s vital to keep tabs on the pulse of all things related to charter schools, including informational resources, and how to support charter school growth and the advancement of the charter school movement as a whole. We hope you find this—and any other article we curate—both interesting and valuable.
The Shortchanging of Public Charter School Students: Why Do They Get So Much Less Per Pupil Than Students at Traditional Schools?
In December, we released our study Charter School Funding: (More) Inequity in the City.We meticulously tracked all public school revenue — including federal, state, local, and nonpublic dollars — during the 2015-16 school year in 14 cities with high concentrations of public charter schools.
Charter schools in those cities received on average 27 percent less total revenue per pupil than traditional public schools, a gap of $5,828 per student. The cities with the largest gaps were Camden, N.J., at $14,671 per student, and Washington, D.C., at $10,258 per student. Charter school students in Atlanta, Georgia, received an average of 49 percent less per pupil in revenue than students in traditional public schools. In Little Rock, Arkansas, charter students received 39 percent less.
One critical feature of our public school funding studies is that we focus on revenue. We think it’s important to know how much money is being provided to the public charter and traditional public school sectors. It represents the resources committed to educating students. (School expenditures, while interesting, are a different topic.)
Second, we count everything. Public schools receive funds from federal, state, and local governments as well as philanthropies, parents, and valuable in-kind services such as student transportation and access to school buildings. We identify and record every dollar, and the dollar value of in-kind benefits, directed to the public charter or traditional public schools in each jurisdiction, regardless of its source. When traditional public school districts pass through money to charter schools or receive funds to provide services to charter students, we count that as charter school revenue.
Money passed through traditional public school districts to charters also is counted on the charter side of the ledger. We then divide the total revenue received by the public charter sector by its total per-pupil enrollment and do the same for traditional public schools. Our method generates a complete measure of per-pupil revenue in each sector.
Some analysts say our method is flawed because it is too complete. Certain revenues, they argue, should be excluded from school funding totals because they come from special sources or are intended for specific purposes. Only the school revenue that runs through the official funding formula in a given state should be counted as “per pupil” revenue, they claim. By excluding large categories of school funding, researchers adopting this approach generate smaller per-pupil funding amounts, especially in the traditional public school sector where much of the revenue comes in the form of categorical grants, not formula funding.
By excluding school revenue categories, our critics suggest that only some K-12 school funding is intended to support students. Our challenge to them is this: If large categories of school funding are not intended for students, then whom are they for? If the reason for providing any and all revenue to schools is to support students, in direct and indirect ways, then why exclude any school funding from per-pupil calculations? Our critics have difficulty answering those questions.
A great example is facilities funding. Traditional public schools receive facilities funding mainly through local property taxes or bond issuances, sometimes supplemented by state categorical grants. Whatever the source, traditional public school systems handle facilities funding through a capital budget that is separate from their operational budget.
A separate set of books reports capital revenue and capital spending. Public charter schools receive facilities funding from a great variety of sources, including (sometimes) a fair share of local property taxes, the in-kind benefit of co-location in a traditional public school building, state categorical grants, or state per-pupil allotments.
We track all of these revenue amounts in our study. Many public charter schools have no access to any revenue sources dedicated to facilities. They have to fund their facilities out of operational monies, by paying rent.
Some critics of our comprehensive approach argue that all capital funding should be excluded. After all, it pays for buildings, not educating kids. But don’t school children benefit from having a facility built and maintained for their education? If so, capital revenue should be counted in any true measure of total per-pupil revenue.
Charter school students need buildings, too. Since one sector finances buildings as a capital expense and the other funds it as an operational expense, any comparison that excludes capital revenue will be biased, reporting a deceptively low funding total for traditional schools. We refuse to introduce that bias into our calculations. We count all revenue received by all schools in both sectors, whether intended to support school buildings or school operations.
A final possible objection to our inclusion of capital revenue is that it distorts funding totals in the year in which funding is received and counted. Facilities are funded and built in a specific year but benefit students across decades. A better approach, some argue, would be to depreciate the value of school buildings across their useful life. Certainly, that would be true if we were studying individual schools in isolation. We are not.
We are studying large school sectors — charter and traditional — with capital needs that are smoothed across time simply because not every school in the sector needs a new building every year. When one charter or traditional school receives funding for a new building, that revenue influx is averaged across the group of schools in the sector for that year, because some day they all will get theirs. Moreover, depreciating the value of each school building requires making a host of economic assumptions. We prefer our method, which relies on actual dollars in specific years, over approaches that speculate about the future.
In sum, our comprehensive school revenue reports raise hackles with some people because we count everything. We think completeness is a virtue, especially when the education of students — all students— is at stake.
Learn the Five Essential Steps to Charter School Facilities Planning
Charter school facilities planning can be daunting. We’ve created this handy checklist as a starting point to help you move towards realizing your facility expansion or relocation goals. We understand that the planning and financing of any facility project are complex, time-consuming, and have the potential to distract your team from its core mission: serving your students. Download this manual to get concrete, actionable steps for success!
The 5 Essential Steps to Charter School Facilities Planning
If you think that finding the perfect facility for your charter school seems like a huge, complicated undertaking, you’re in good company. This handy, information-packed guide, will help as you move towards realizing your facility expansion or relocation goals.
In it, we cover these five essential charter school facility planning steps—in detail:
Plan – Begin planning at least one year in advance
Fund – Understand your options to make savvy decisions
Acquire – You know what you can afford and how you’ll pay for it … now go get it
Design – Partner with experts to design your new space
Execute – Let the construction begin and get ready to move in
In this CHARTER EDtalk, we are honored to be joined by Branché Jones from Branché Jones Lobbying Firm, an expert in California charter school legislation and supporter of the charter school movement. Branché shares his insights into the most recent California legislative updates and how the new SB126 is going to affect charter schools across the state of California. To learn more, please watch the video or read the transcript below for the full story.
TRANSCRIPT
Ryan Eldridge: Hello, and welcome to this episode of CHARTER EDtalks. I’m Ryan Eldridge, Charter School Advisor for Charter School Capital, and I’m honored to be joined by Branché Jones from Branché Jones Lobbying Firm. And we’re here to discuss the California Legislature and Senate Bill 126. So Branché, I know that you’ve got your pulse on things, and we just wanted to find out a little bit more about how 126 is going to impact the charter schools in California.
About Senate Bill 126
Branché Jones: Sure. SB-126 is a culmination of about 15 years of efforts to apply conflict of interest provisions to charter schools in the state. It has the Brown Act in it, the Political Forum Act, the Public Records Act, and you’ll have to comply with government code 1090, which is the governing body of law for elected officials and board members. What it’s going to do is you’re actually going to have to change your provisions, how you operate your Board. Your governing structure may have to change, who you can hire, what terms they’ll be working for you under, things of that nature.
Additionally, for non-classroom-based schools, they have some teleconferencing provisions. So when you’re having a board meeting, there’ll have to be some type of device at every location where people can testify and hear what’s going on in the board meeting.
As I said in the beginning, it was about 15 years in the making. Charter schools have been able to fight it off and different descriptions of it, different bills, Assembly bills, Senate bills. The previous governor, Mr. Brown, was very supportive of charter schools, everybody knows, and he would not sign this piece of legislation.
This governor, Mr. Newsom, said in his campaign that he was going to enact some charter school transparency laws around conflict of interest and things of that nature. So, this bill actually passed in warp speed. It took one week to get through the State Assembly. State Senate first, one week to get through the State Assembly, then it was on the governor’s desk, and he signed it. It’ll go into effect on January 1st, 2020.
In my personal opinion, this was coming in some form or another. We had lived free of those laws since the inception of the Charter School Act, so this was kind of like government creep. It was coming. Eldridge: Inevitable. Right? Jones: One way or the other—it was. Correct. It was inevitable. Many schools already live under these provisions and adhere to these provisions. The one thing to add is the bill also applies those same provisions to charter school management corporations (CMOs), so anybody managing or running a charter school has to comply with all those laws as well. That’ll be something that I think people really have to make sure they have a tight grip on because you don’t want to be out of compliance with the statute. That would be reasons for revocation, and that could be the case in some places.
We know there are some interesting governance models out there, but that’s the one twist they put on the bill. So it applies to the entire charter school structure. There was little to no opposition because it was inevitable. The governor wanted this on his desk. He wanted it to be the first thing he signed, and he made sure everybody knew that. We all had our meeting in the Horseshoe with the staff. That’s the governor’s office. They explained the realities of the situation to us all. So this was going to happen, and it basically … It almost went through unanimously, with a couple Republicans in the State Senate and State Assembly voting against it.
What does this mean for the rest of 2019?
Jones: What this means moving forward for 2019, this is the first bill of many that will apply to charter schools. There’s 1505 that would take away your rights to appeal and do a number of wacky things. I know there are some amendments out there to it, but everyone will be in opposition to that. 1506 has not been amended yet at this date, but it will have a cap of some kind in it for charter schools. 1507 closes a loophole that says you can put your site … if you can’t find a location for your school in the district you’re authorized in, you can put it in the district next door. And 1508 will deal with districts … It hasn’t fully been amended, kind of like 1506. They’re working on the language, but it will deal with the financial impact charters have on districts and probably allow a district to deny a charter for fiscal reasons.
Now, the last point I’ll add is the governor has not … the administration hasn’t taken a position. We know people will be fighting these measures as they go through the State Assembly. I don’t know where the State Senate will be. I don’t know that they all reached the governor’s desk, but he did not want to put a cap or a moratorium in his piece of legislation. So that might hint as to where he is on it, but we’re not clear at this point. The only other thing to add is there’s a charter school commission that’s been created to look at the fiscal impact charters have on districts and should have a report out the end of June. Eldridge: Okay Jones: That’s the legislative makeup. Eldridge: So some more information may be coming in the June timeframe, so you can maybe do another one of these with us? Jones: Yes, we’ll do another one. Eldridge: And get some updates? Jones: Yes. And then after June, we’ll know. The governor’s May revision will be out, so we’ll know where the budget numbers are as well. Eldridge: We appreciate it. This wraps up this version of Charter Ed Talks. We appreciate your time, and thanks for joining us.
Since the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We provide growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $1.8 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published here, on December 13, 2018 by Education Dive and written by Amelia Harper. It shares the results from a study on school choice, pinpointing some of the key barriers to providing school choice options for students and their families. Transportation and enrollment issues are among the top barriers.
We think it’s vital to keep tabs on the pulse of all things related to charter schools, including informational resources, and how to support school choice, charter school growth, and the advancement of the charter school movement as a whole. We hope you find this—and any other article we curate—both interesting and valuable.
Transportation, enrollment issues create barriers to school choice, study says
Dive Brief:
Roughly 145,400 students in Colorado — or 16% of all students in the state — used their school choice option to attend traditional public schools other than the one normally assigned, while 13% of students in the state attend charter schools, according to a new report, “Open Doors, Open Districts,” which examines the use of school choice and open enrollment in Colorado, Chalkbeat reports.
Families who use school choice options in the state are more likely to be white and in the middle or upper socioeconomic class, as transportation is one barrier for school choice options for lower-income families who can’t afford the time and cost of transporting students. Another major obstacle is lack of information and confusion over enrollment as deadlines for paperwork to schools varies greatly within the state.
The report recommends that the state and school districts create more enrollment consistency between districts, provide better information to parents (especially non-English-speaking families) about schools and the enrollment process, and remove barriers to transportation. However, some Democratic lawmakers and school districts are concerned that addressing the transportation issues would create a scenario where larger, wealthier districts would seek to “poach students.”
Dive Insight:
Wealthier families have always had more options when it comes to school attendance. Wealthier people can afford private schools with good reputations, can transport their children to school themselves, and can afford to move to school districts with better schools, if they choose to enroll their children in public schools. The growth of school choice was an attempt to level the playing field for less financially fortunate families and, to some degree, it has helped. Vouchers, though controversial, are another way some states are seeking to make school options more accessible to all families. However, there are still obstacles that need to be addressed, as this new report notes.
One of the issues noted in the article is the confusion over the enrollment process. Some larger cities, including Denver and New Orleans, have been experimenting with a common enrollment process that has eased the pain for some families. The process is designed to help families explore many options in one place and to match students with schools that are appropriate for their needs. Transportation is another barrier for families, especially in rural communities without a mass transit system. Most states don’t require that charter and private schools offer transportation, though some do offer limited transportation options as a way to attract students. Online public schools are another way to address the issue, but this method of instruction does not work for all students.
As families gain more school choice options, many public schools are left with new challenges. Since many private and charter schools don’t offer extensive services for special needs students, traditional public schools are often left with a larger proportion of special needs students in their schools. They also tend to have greater numbers of English learners for the same reason. States need to find ways to help address these issues as well, not only through additional funding, but also by considering how the increased percentage of students with additional needs affects school performance scores as parents compare them with other school choices.
If you are trying to meet operational expenses, expand, acquire or renovate your school building, add an athletic department, enhance school safety/security, or buy new technology, complete the online application below and we’ll contact you to set up a meeting. Our team works with you to determine funding and facilities options based on your school’s unique needs.
Your Facilities Financing Journey with Charter School Capital
We are 100% dedicated to the charter school space and measure our success by the number of students we serve.
We’ve created this infographic to show you what a typical facilities funding journey with Charter School Capital looks like. Our team works closely with you to find innovative solutions to your facilities challenges. We pride ourselves on having the ability to be as creative, flexible, and innovative as possible to meet your specific needs so you can focus on your mission — educating students. You can download a PDF of the infographic here!
We are so excited to share this new infographic with you, so let us know what you think!
Charter School Authorizing 101
Editor’s Note: This video was produced by the National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) on November 12, 2018. NACSA is an independent voice for effective charter school policy and thoughtful charter authorizing practices that lead to more great public schools.
This short video does a clear and thorough job at explaining how charter school authorizers function and the role authorizers play in maintaining quality charter schools across our country by holding schools accountable for their performance.
We think it’s vital to keep tabs on the pulse of all things related to charter schools, including informational resources, and how to support charter school growth and the advancement of the charter school movement as a whole. We hope you find this—and any other article we curate—both interesting and valuable.
Watch the video and/or read the transcript below to learn more.
What Are Charter Schools?
Hi there. I’d like you to meet Gina. Today, she becomes one of tens of thousands of kids who will graduate from a public charter school this year. What are charter schools? Well, charter schools are independently run public schools that have greater flexibility in their operations and are accountable for great performance. Simply put, charter schools receive more freedom for meeting higher expectations. Charter schools don’t just pop up in a community. There’s an important process to create a new charter school, and it begins with a vision and authorizers.
What Are Authorizers?
Now, let’s take a look at how authorizing works. Although their work happens in the background, they’re pretty important to producing great schools. Authorizers are entities that decide who can start a charter school, set the academic expectations, and monitor school performance. They also decide whether a charter school should remain open or close. Authorizers are all around the country. Some states have many, while others have only a few. In some states, authorizers are universities or non-profits. They might be state education agencies, independent boards, or municipalities, but almost 90% of authorizers are local school districts.
How do Schools Get Authorized?
That’s the case for Gina’s school. The process that brought Gina here started many years ago when a group of teachers came up with the idea to create a bilingual charter school based on the need they identified in the community. These teachers did their homework. They submitted their application to the local charter school authorizer. The authorizer reviewed the mission, the academic plans, the fiscal and operational details, and their overall strategy to run the school successfully. The authorizer met with the teachers and school leaders. Together, they agreed on specific academic and financial goals, as well as general school operations. And the charter school was approved!
Getting a Charter Renewed
Gina’s school has been successful for 10 years. The authorizer kept a close eye on their progress and their contract was renewed! Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Two schools in Gina’s city didn’t do so well, and because they are required to meet these high expectations, it’s up to the authorizer to decide what’s best for these students—keep the charter school open or shut it down? One school was put on probation and the other was closed. Authorizers ensure that no child attends a failing school. Not all families around the country have Gina’s experience. Terry lives in a district with a school board whose application process is so hostile to charters that no one even bothers to apply. In Tamika’s case, there are several charter schools in her community, but all are among the lowest performing in the state.
Ensuring that Charter Schools Thrive
There’s Avery, and Daniel, and Kai, and so many more children who are on a waiting list to attend only two other charter schools in the city because their authorizers are under political pressure and won’t open any new charters.
It’s not supposed to be this way. Make sure your community has a great charter school authorizer by visiting www.AuthorizingMatters.org.
Together we can open the door to a better future for millions more students like Gina.
Since the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We provide growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $1.8 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!
Proudly Announcing Our New Charter School Energy Program!
We are so proud to announce the official launch of our newest program exclusively for charter schools, Charter School Energy Powered by BioStar Renewables program.
We’re always listening to our school partners to better understand how we can best serve your needs and help you succeed—this new program was designed to do just that. With Charter School Energy Powered by Biostar Renewables, we are now able to offer access to energy efficient and renewable energy solutions for your school building.
These upgrades are designed to not only improve the learning environment for your students but also dramatically reduce your utility and maintenance expenses—positively impacting your bottom line. If you are interested in learning more details about this program, please visit our Charter School Energy page.
Charter School Energy is a full-service energy upgrade program with flexible financing options that enable school leaders to greatly reduce energy costs and enhance student learning environments through improved lighting, HVAC and thermostat upgrades and building controls. Renewable solutions such as solar allow the school to offset some or all of the building’s remaining energy consumption.
As always, we would welcome the opportunity of working with you to find sustainable solutions for your school’s success. Contact our team of dedicated professionals to learn how you can now access energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions for your charter school building.
Dispelling Myths with These Five Charter School Facts
1. Fact: Charter Schools Are Public Schools
Charter schools are tuition-free, independently run public schools and open to all students. They are granted greater flexibility in operations for greater accountability for performance. Their “charter” is a contract detailing the school’s mission, program, the students they serve, performance goals, and methods of assessment.
2. Fact: Charter Schools Serve All Students
Charter schools do not have selective admission requirements. They accept every student who wish to attend, including English Learners, students with special needs, and students of color. Unfortunately, due to the high demand for charter schools, over one million students are currently on wait lists.
3. Fact: Charter Schools Are Accountable
Charter schools are granted more educational flexibility in exchange for higher accountability. They must meet both state and federal education standards as well as rigorous student achievement, financial, and managerial standards to retain their charter.
4. Fact: Charter Schools Are Diverse
Charter schools are incredibly diverse, providing unique learning opportunities for students. Some cater to children with special needs, some to students who require credit recovery, while some have specific educational focusi such as math, science, art, or the performing arts.
5. Fact: Charter Schools Get Results
By meeting students exactly where they are and tailoring the educational experience to their particular needs, charter schools allow kids to reach their full potential. Studies show that charter schools often outperform their district traditional school counterparts. They are also graduating ready for college and careers at higher rates.
Since the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We provide growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $1.8 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!
How to Host a Successful Legislative Visit to Your Charter School
Editor’s Note:
Elections may be over – for now, but it’s never too late to reach out and make connections with your local elected officials.
We wanted to share this incredibly helpful and information-packed toolkit that was put together by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. In it, you’ll learn the elements of a visit and each section will provide step-by-step detail to making a legislative visit to your charter school a success.
Members of congress, your state legislators, and other local elected officials can all be powerful allies that influence how charter schools are both funded and perceived.
And who better to share all of the amazing things that charter schools are doing, than you, a charter leader and someone deeply invested in the success of the charter school movement? This is a great opportunity to tout the accomplishments of your school, your students, and your community.
Here is your school visit checklist as outlined in the toolkit (download the complete toolkit for all the details):
Invite your representative or senator through National Alliance for Public Schools platform.
Schedule a date for the tour when the legislator is in his or her congressional district.
Coordinate a media plan with congressional staff.
Reach out to local press.
Share the agenda and other support materials with congressional staff.
Communicate with the school community.
Review materials and talking points for the visit.
Host the visit.
Follow up on media plan (press release and/or social media).
Thank your legislator.
Once you have your visit confirmed and scheduled, be sure to loop in the National Alliance to keep them posted!
Email the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools at info@publiccharters.org.
Be sure to include the email subject as “School Visit Confirmed: {Insert School Name} in {City, State}”.
Please list all relevant details about your school visit in the body of the email (who, what, when, where).
You can download the complete Hosting a Successful Legislative School Visit toolkit here.
Since the company’s inception in 2007, Charter School Capital has been committed to the success of charter schools. We provide growth capital and facilities financing to charter schools nationwide. Our depth of experience working with charter school leaders and our knowledge of how to address charter school financial and operational needs have allowed us to provide over $1.8 billion in support of 600 charter schools that have educated over 1,027,000 students across the country. For more information on how we can support your charter school, contact us. We’d love to work with you!
Starting a charter school is for those who are passionate about providing unique, customizable, and diverse educational opportunities for students. But make no mistake—it is by no means a simple undertaking. Starting up a charter will take organization, time, and energy, so you’ll want to begin with a clear understanding of the journey.
In this article, you will find a detailed guide to the steps to starting a charter school, including:
What research to do at the state level
The time and energy required for planning and program design
How to develop an objective for your school and write a mission statement
Gathering a board of governance
Building a budget, choosing a location, and making a charter petition
The approval process
Hiring teachers and staff
Enrollment
Measuring progress
Free additional charter school planning resources
Getting Started
Charter schools provide students with innovative approaches to teaching and learning, providing communities with different educational options for students within the public school system. Charter schools are public schools that are run independently from the local school district but are still required to follow and meet local and state academic standards. They are publicly funded by the states they operate in and must comply with regular performance reviews.
Here’s what to look into at the state level as you get started:
1. Check the legality of charter schools in your state. Because charter schools are funded by the states they operate in, each state has legislation to determine the legality of opening and operating a charter school. First, determine whether charter schools are permitted in your state.
As of January 2016, the majority of states and the District of Columbia have passed laws that allow charter schools to operate. The states in the U.S. that do not currently permit charter schools include:
Kentucky
Montana
Nebraska
North Dakota
2. Check for capacity limits.Of the states that do permit charter schools, many put caps on how many charter schools can operate within that state. Depending on where you live, you may be ineligible to open a charter school due to capacity limits, even if charter schools are generally allowed in your state.
The states which currently do not have caps in place are:
Alaska
Arizona
Colorado
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Maryland
Minnesota
Nevada
New Jersey
North Carolina
Oregon
South Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
Wyoming
If you live in a state that is not listed, there may be limitations on how many charter schools may legally operate within the state. However, it is still possible that your state may not have reached its capacity. Search online for charter school laws in your state to see if you can start a charter school in your region.
3. Determine if new schools are allowed. In addition to setting limits on the number of charter schools permitted, some states have laws that set limits on the types of charter schools allowed. That means that there may be restrictions on new start-up schools, public school conversions, and/or virtual schools.
4. Visit your state’s Department of Education website. Because charter school laws vary so much from one state to another, it’s important to know your state’s specific guidelines, deadlines, and regulations. There is no single compendium, unfortunately, so you’ll need to learn about the particular forms, applications, and deadlines required in your state.
Tips:
You can search online for your state’s Department of Education website, or you can search for your state’s charter school application process.
Pay close attention to all relevant deadlines as these will most likely be unique to charter schools in your state.
Familiarize yourself all aspects of your state’s charter school legislation. Some states require the applicants to exhibit a working knowledge of their state’s legislated requirements, purpose, and objectives.
Planning and Designing Your Charter School
Once you’ve got the green light at the state level, it’s time to think through the particulars of your school. It’s time to start dreaming, but also stay realistic to ensure success. It will be important to stay true to your vision and to gather others to help you along the way.
1. Assess your level of commitment.Starting a charter school will assuredly take a lot of time and energy—and it will most certainly be frustrating at times. Before you begin the process, reflect on your ability to stick with the project—you’ll be attending meetings, learning new skills, taking risks, and working with a diverse range of people to bring your vision to life. It also won’t happen right away, so you’ll need to be in it for the long haul.
A few details to consider:
You’ll need to put together a robust team to make your charter school happen. You’ll need people experienced in real estate, those with financial expertise, and others with strong backgrounds in operations/management skills, leadership abilities, and educational design.
Planning for your charter school will most likely take at least a year—and may take considerably longer. You’ll also need time to build a new facility or modify an existing one, depending on where you decide to open your charter school. Will you still have the same passion and patience for this project in a year (or longer)?
2. Develop your dream. The main reason for starting a charter school should ultimately be to provide your community with an educational opportunity that does not currently exist. Think about what aspects of a well-rounded education are missing from current public school options—how could you address those needs with your potential charter school?
Here are some questions to think about:
What could realistically be taught in the public school curriculum, but isn’t?
You will have to stick to your state’s standards of education, of course, but what could be done differently while still adhering to those standards?
One successful charter school concept in an area with a large population of Chinese families was to incorporate Mandarin Chinese language lessons into the curriculum. Can you think of similar ways to provide relevant academic opportunities for the students in your community?
3. Write a mission statement. Once you have a clear idea of your charter school’s concept, start drafting a mission statement. You’ll need to be able to outline your vision to your state’s Department of Education (or equivalent), so work on creating a clear, pragmatic mission and purpose.
The mission statement should describe your charter school’s purpose as well as your goals/aspirations for the school (what you intend to accomplish).
Ask yourself what the best, most ideal public school education would look like. Then start brainstorming a list of defining characteristics and use these to generate the basic components of your mission statement.
Consider explicitly incorporating a set of core beliefs into your mission statement. This can help guide you as you craft your mission statement, and may be useful for future evaluations of your school’s performance.
Your mission statement should be clear and concise. You’ll need to relate your school’s administrative decisions to its mission and core values, so the clearer and more specific you are, the easier it will be to put your mission into action.
4. Establish your governance. Before you can start the paperwork to enact your idea for a charter school, you’ll need a board of governance. This is a vital part of any successful charter school, as approximately 27% of all new charter schools are disrupted by internal conflicts within the board.
You’ll need to decide both who is on the board and how that board will function.
Consider:
The people you select for your board should understand the mission you’ve outlined and they should be fully dedicated to that mission. Get to know the people you’re considering for your board and see if their values and beliefs align with yours (and your charter’s).
Most successful charter school boards have between 7 and 11 members, where each member significantly contributes some specific skill set to the board. These skills include finance/accounting, real estate, facilities management, legal services, human resource services, fundraising and marketing, community partnerships, and academic programming.
Think about where your own weaknesses lie (and be honest with your self-assessment), then look for potential board members who can strengthen your school board accordingly.
Consider splitting your team up into sub-committees that can work on assigned aspects of research and planning based on the members’ areas of expertise.
Don’t forget that the role of the board is to govern your charter school and not manage it. Governance involves creating goals for the school, setting metrics to measure the school’s process, evaluating the school, approving the budget, creating policies, engaging in fundraising, and enforcing local and state charter laws.
5. Set a budget. The budget will help determine how your money is spent within the charter school. The governing board members should have a considerable voice in determining the budget, both in terms of how to raise funds as well as how to use those funds.
You’ll want to:
Keep your mission statement in mind as you develop your budget. Are you holding your future students’ best interests in mind at all times?
Work with an accountant or financial planner to develop a budget proposal for the first year of operation, as well as a long-range budget plan that will cover the first three to five years of operation. You’ll also need a detailed cash-flow projection for every year of operation.
Have your board review and approve the budget and projections you develop on an annual basis.
6. Choose a location. The facilities in which you build and operate your charter school could make or break your charter’s chances of success. It’s seldom as easy as finding a spot and signing the lease. Finding and securing a facility for a charter school often requires some degree of compromise and innovation.
Try to search for potential facilities within a central location that will be convenient for your prospective students and their parents.
Property that used to house a school may be an ideal location, but finding an old school building in good condition can be difficult. Some charters operate out of converted retail spaces, while others rely on multi-use facilities to share the space and resources with other schools or businesses.
Of course, you won’t want to put a down payment on any property until you know that your charter application is accepted, but having a potential place lined up could help strengthen your application.
7. Develop your petition. In addition to a mission statement and board of governance, you’ll need to develop a charter petition. This functions similarly to a business plan for a prospective business.
It can span hundreds of pages and require extensive research including:
Your vision and mission for the school, as well as the school’s curriculum design, hiring practices, predicted facilities/location, and communication structure.
Research in both legal requirements and functional practices of successful charter schools. You can find some of this information online.
Input from charter schools, both in your region and across the country. The board members at established charter schools can help guide you with their own experience and may be able to offer suggestions you would not have considered.
Opening Your School
You’ve done your research, developed your vision, and gathered your board members—now it’s time for the practical steps needed to open your school doors.
Draft and submit a letter of intent.Depending on your state’s guidelines and requirements, you may need to write and submit a letter of intent. You may need to submit your materials to your local school district, your state’s Department of Education, or to your state’s Charter School Office (if such an office exists in your state). The letter of intent should outline the planning and design you’ve worked on thus far and should identify the board members you’ve chosen to establish and operate your proposed charter school.
A successful charter school letter of intent should include, but may not be limited to:
applicant information
founding group/board of directors, along with each individual’s role and qualifications
proposal history (if relevant)
the name of your proposed charter school
the prospective location – not the address, but simply the school district your charter will fall in, and any specific neighborhood(s) you’ve identified as a promising location
planned grades and estimated enrollment
any partner organizations you’ve lined up
your school’s mission statement
an overview of how your school will live up to its mission statement
the target population you hope your school will appeal to
diversity initiatives for your charter school
public outreach initiatives and community support for your proposed charter school
2. Wait for approval. Once your materials are submitted, you’ll need to wait for authorization to proceed with your school. Most charter schools are authorized by the local school district, but if the school district denies your application you can appeal that decision to the county, and then to the state.
Common reasons for a denied application include:
an unsound educational program
a concern over the petitioners’ inability to successfully implement the school program they’ve designed
a failure to address the conditions or guidelines set out for charter schools in your town, county, or state
a failure to meet the educational requirements of schools in your district, county, or state
3. Hire faculty and staff. If your charter school is approved, you’ll need teachers, administrators, and facility managers. You may want to consider alumni of alternative teaching programs like Teach for America, or turn to online job listings. As with board members, you’ll want to be sure you hire qualified people who are passionate about your school’s mission.
Here are some best practices when hiring teachers:
Have teaching applicants teach a sample lesson as part of the interview process. This will give you a good look at how that applicant actually performs in the classroom.
Follow up on all job references, and pay close attention to each candidate’s job history. Look for any dismissals and find out why that applicant was terminated from a position.
Do a basic online search to see if each individual has a public social media account. This may give you some insight into the applicant’s personality and ethics.
Work with local law enforcement to conduct a background check.
Most new charter school startups have a high turnover rate. Do what you can to retain quality teachers, and if a teacher you hire isn’t working out, don’t wait five years before finding a replacement. Similarly, don’t feel hurt if your teachers don’t stick around for more than a year or two. Anticipate turnover from both your employees and from you and your board as the employers.
4. Open for enrollment. Once you’ve been approved for operations and you’ve hired a strong faculty and staff, you’re ready to open for enrollment. Remember that you may be bound to certain class size restrictions and other regulations, and always keep your charter school’s mission statement at the forefront of all operations. If you need help with enrollment marketing, consider partnering with experienced charter school marketers to support you.
5. Monitor progress at all levels. As you grow, you’ll want to monitor the progress of your school. Many education boards choose to work with an agency like Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). MAP can assess schools nationwide on a regular basis and provide you with a personalized assessment of your school’s ranking, your students’ progress, and your students’ potential for growth. These results are often delivered within 24 hours, allowing you to keep on top of your educators’ effectiveness and your students’ learning progress.
Getting You the Money, Resources, and Know-How
While the process may seem overwhelming, the community benefits of charter education are worth the time and effort. Carefully designed and mission-driven charter schools offer nourishing learning environments and greater diversity to students nationwide. What’s more, there are many resources to help those interested in starting charter schools.
Congratulations—you’ve started your charter school! The start-up stage is exciting and full of potential. It’s common to feel overwhelmed during this phase, but learning from others can make all the difference. Charter schools fall within three main growth stages: start-up, growth, and sustainable maturity. These stages are defined by years in operation and the number […]
Starting and running a school is a challenging task, and ensuring financial stability requires careful planning and management. According to The Center for Education Reform, 42% of charter school failures within the first three years were due to finances, making it imperative to establish a solid budget from the outset. Read on to discover best […]
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Charter School Growth Guide
Whether you’re just beginning the process of starting up a charter school, looking to expand, or trying to prioritize your next steps, our network of charter school experts can help with best practices and strategies for success at every stage of growth. All of the advice in this guide comes from experienced charter school leaders who have been where you are now—they understand what you’re facing and the pitfalls to avoid.
