Charter schools in West Virginia would be able to apply for and access School Building Authority funds to cover start-up costs, including the purchase of brick-and-mortar schools, under a bill awaiting the governor’s signature.
The House of Representatives approved this legislation on Tuesday during the special session after two Republican members, including a public school teacher, changed The bill would require all buildings to be returned to the permitting agency or state if the charter school closes. The Senate accepted the House’s amendments to the bill.
James PaulManaging Director of the State Professional Charter The school board said he hopes to receive funding from the SBA can be used to support multiple schools and further expand educational freedom in West Virginia.
There are six charter schools in West Virginia. Two of these are statewide virtual schools.
“Charter schools are an essential part of our public education system, and I am grateful to West Virginia lawmakers for ensuring that charter students now have equal access to facility funding,” he said. “As we move forward, I am committed to working with charter schools – and the SBA – to expand educational opportunities while using taxpayer dollars responsibly and ensuring these investments benefit students and communities.”
The bill would allow charter schools to apply for funding for costs associated with renovating, modifying, purchasing, or constructing a building to be used for instruction. Paul last year told lawmakers that it was hard for charter school founders to raise money for start-up costs, especially if the school wanted a physical location.
The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 62-29. Some Democrats expressed concerns about public money flowing to charter schools while classic public schools are struggling financially due to withering enrollment, dwindling COVID-19 funding and the state’s Education Savings Account program.
“For me, this means further privatization of public resources,” Del said. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, during Legal debate in the House Education Committee. “I initially voted against the charter school bill. This leads them to deprive our public schools of more public funding for everyone’s children. I’m just philosophically against it.”
House Education Committee Chairman Joe Ellington, R-Mercer, told committee members: “These are public charter schools, so they are part of the public school system.”
Lawmakers also agreed legislation That would give the SBA $5 million for charter school access.Lawmakers created a charter school stimulus fund in 2023, but it was never funded.
Fred Albert, president of the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia, called the bill “disheartening.”
“While every other public school in the state must apply and compete for the limited SBA funds available, charter schools will now receive preferential treatment with their own line item in the funding process,” he continued. “As declining enrollment forces communities across West Virginia to consolidate and close their local schools, many students will face larger class sizes in schools in need of repair and modernization. Unfortunately, our legislature creates a system of haves and have-nots.”
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