West Virginia charter school advocates are asking lawmakers for assist funding startup costs, including securing buildings for classrooms.
The proposals presented to lawmakers on Sunday come immediately afterward several Republican-backed bills this year that supported charter schools and expanded opportunities for their students. A lively piece legislation increased funding for schools and gave their leaders access to public funding for school safety.
“I am grateful for the steps the Legislature and governor have taken over the last year to improve funding, but I think more steps can be taken,” said James Paul, executive director of the West Virginia Professional Charter School Board.
There was an boost in students opting for state studies five charter schoolswhich now includes two nationwide virtual schools.
Preliminary enrollment numbers showed about 2,200 students enrolled in these programs, an boost of more than 75% over charter schools launched for the first time in the state in 2022.
Two more charter schools are expected to open next year.
In recent years, state legislatures have rapidly expanded school options, and charter schools have been an essential part of that movement. They passed bills giving the state the ability to authorize charter schools while also creating one of the nation’s most comprehensive education savings account programs, known as Hope Scholarship. Nationally, there has been a conservative push toward school choice, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 School disruptions And Curriculum Controversies.
Students attending the state’s public charter schools or utilizing the Hope Scholarship Divert funds from the customary public school system. Opponents of West Virginia’s Education Savings Account Program, the survived legal challenges, argued that public schools already existed have financial problems in the indigent state.
Funding for charter schools is still needed, Paul said. He said schools are struggling to get going because some of the state funding doesn’t kick in until schools have started the school year with students. In West Virginia, schools are considered public schools.
“There are many challenges in this startup phase,” he told lawmakers, adding that charter school founders must rely on private fundraising, philanthropic donations, loans or other resources to make it work financially.
John Treu, a West Virginia University professor and founder of West Virginia Academy, said it cost about $1 million to get the school up and running for 400 students.
“Realistically, you’re looking at a seven-figure sum for a school our size,” he said.
Lawmakers called for exploring funding options for charter schools
Paul, speaking to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability, laid out several options for how lawmakers could assist fund charter schools. The aim of schools is to improve the academic performance of students have fought to compensate for pandemic-related learning losses.
State charter schools recently received a $12.3 million federal grant that will be used to expand the school system over the next five years. The majority of that money will go directly to schools, Paul said.
However, he emphasized that start-up funding is still a hurdle, especially for those who want to operate in school buildings.
He would like to see lawmakers put money into the newly created measure Stimulus funds for charter schoolswhich should reduce start-up costs. The bill did not contain integrated funding.
“There is still no specific funding for facilities and there is still no access to local funds,” Paul said.
He also suggested creating a program – like one that has come into force in Ohio — that provides per-pupil funding specifically for facility costs, and he told lawmakers about it a lease reimbursement program for charter schools that rent space.
“Many other states have recognized that this is an area where charter schools need help,” Paul said.
At the national level: finance influence The ability of charter schools to remain open.
Researchers at the Network for Public Education found that “Within the first three years, 18% of charter flights were closed, with many of these closures occurring in the first year. After five years, 25% of charters were closed. After 10 years, 40% of charters were closed,” Forbes said reported.
Accordingly The Parkersburg News and Sentinelone charter school — Eastern Panhandle Preparatory Academy in Kearneysville — is already running a nearly $2 million deficit since it opened two years ago.
Paul told lawmakers he is not concerned about the long-term financial viability of charter schools in West Virginia.
“We are confident that they will be successful in the long term because once they are stable and their enrollment increases, they will be successful,” he said.
School choice will likely be on lawmakers’ minds in 2024
School choice will likely be back in the focus of lawmakers when they meet in Charleston for the 60-day regular session in January.
In addition to Paul’s suggestions to the Legislature, the West Virginia Professional Charter School board would likely need approval from the Legislature for its idea of using Hope Scholarship funds for certain educational services. The board considered Access the Education Savings Account Program to offset costs.
The Hope Scholarship gives Students in West Virginia receive about $4,400 in tax dollars per student that would otherwise go to public schools.
State Treasurer Riley Moore has led the expansion of eligibility for the Hope Scholarship by eliminating application deadlines. The proposed change would allow the program to admit students year-round without different admissions policies.
“… I think that’s something a lot of families and students would like to see,” Moore said said MetroNews.
The change would require legislative action, Moore said, to boost program funding so the program can accommodate students year-round.
Issues of school choice and education are also at the forefront of the 2024 gubernatorial election. Four Republican male candidates, including front-runners Patrick Morrisey and Moore Capito, have confirmed their support of school choice.
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