Funding equity for charters

Charter schools have become an important component of public education in South Carolina, but getting a charter under way can be daunting, in part, because of funding inequities. That's particularly the case with schools granted a charter by the state charter school district.

Funding inequities are expected to be addressed in a larger study directed to the Legislature on school financing later this year. But a correction shouldn't have to wait another year. When schools approved by the state charter district receive about half of what their traditional public school counterparts receive, the necessity of legislative action is evident.

So far, the state charter district hasn't been able to find an avenue for extra funding that is acceptable to a legislative committee now reviewing options. The House and Senate leadership should insist that the equity issue is addressed this year, despite the less than rosy revenue projections for state government in general.

House Speaker Bobby Harrell, a strong advocate of public school choice, insists that the Legislature should deal with two equity issues that are discouraging charter school development in South Carolina. More funding should be made available to the state district, and districts shouldn't be allowed to charge charters rent on unused buildings, he says.

"These children are just as deserving of having their public school funded as students of any other school," Rep. Harrell says.

The state charter school district was created by the Legislature, primarily to overcome local obstructionists to public school choice. But while charter schools approved at the local level are guaranteed the average per pupil allocation provided other public schools in the district, those authorized by the state charter don't have that guarantee.

According to our recent news report, the average per pupil funding for the state is $10,556. But charter schools approved by the state district receive substantially less. Barbara Nielsen, superintendent of the state charter district, says it should receive an additional $4,658 per student, or an extra $14 million for its 3,000 students.

The charter district faces other difficulties. For example, it doesn't have a fund balance to ease revenue shortfalls nor does it have any facilities funds. Eventually, the Legislature should address those shortcomings as well.

But for now, legislators should find a source of revenue to deal with the more immediate problem of per pupil funding for schools approved by the state charter district.