Health & Fitness
Charter Schools are Costing Local taxpayers Millions
Pennsylvania taxpayers are footing the bill for a huge increase in charter school spending. The biggest problem is the lack of a funding formula based on true costs. The pension double dip and special education costs provide two troublesome examples:
The Pension Double Dip: Charters are given pension payments by both the state and local districts funding 150% of their pension costs.
Special Education: Last year charter schools received over $350 million of special education payments but used only $156 million on special education costs resulting in a $200 million profit.
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Incredibly, charters are allowed to use their excess funds however they want; including the use of mailers, television commercials and highway billboards.
In 2012 The Pennsylvania Auditor General estimated that Charter schools are overfunded by $365 million dollars.
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The cost to Lehigh Valley Taxpayers:
Allentown: Over 5 years Allentown went from $3 million to $19 million in charter payments (an increase of over 600%). During this coming budget cycle Allentown will once again furlough teachers, cut programs and raise taxes, and they will also jump from $19 to $33 million in charter costs.Bethlehem: Will spend $20 million this coming year on charters and raise taxes 5%. Without charters they would have no tax increase. The cost of Bethlehem's contribution to charter schools rose from $4.2 million in 2007-08 to an estimated $15.8 million in 2014-15. The district estimates that if all charter students returned to their schools, it would save $10 million.East Penn: Will spend about $4 million for charters this year and plans to raise taxes about 3%. If East Penn did not have to pay for charters they would also have no tax increase.Saucon Valley: Will go from $900,000 budgeted for charters to $1,048,782 ($148,782 increase).Salisbury: Last year paid $517,381 for charter tuition (equates to 1.2 mils of local taxes). The district paid $11,835.45 for every regular education student and $24,902.20 for every special education student to attend a charter. Transportation cost to charters was $233,000. The pension double dip was a total of $28,010 in retirement and $24,619 in social security. Salisbury's final proposed budget of $33.4 million will raise taxes 3.8%.
Before Tom Corbett became governor Pennsylvania reimbursed local school districts up to 30% for charter costs. That line item is now gone and the difference is made up by local property taxes. Numerous efforts to reform the way charter schools are funded have been thwarted by powerful lobbyist interests. At some point local taxpayers need to demand serious change in the way charter schools are funded.
