Here’s a graphic created by Public Education Partners that shows school district patrons how a portion of their school levy funds flows to charters. Some state officials have argued that no local funds are involved in chartering.
They may be aware that the use of revenue from local levies is restricted to the operation of the school district; hence, they fabricated the following argument:
· Districts must use their local revenue first for their district students.
· Districts must use their state funds first for charter students.
· Therefore, only state funds support charter students.
School district revenues, both state and local, are co-mingled in the districts’ general fund.
The idea that the source of funds dictates the group of students to be funded has no basis in law.
After the E & A Coalition distributed spreadsheets showing most districts receive less state money per pupil than is deducted for charters, and that some districts receive less total state revenue than the state deducts for charters, many state officials abandoned the state’s baseless argument.
However, some less-informed state officials still rely on talking points of the past and continue to tell people that no local levy funds are involved in chartering.
To find out how many of your local tax dollars are used to subsidize charter schools, check this website comprised of data from the Ohio Department of Education. https://knowyourcharter.com/map/
~William Phillis, Executive Director
Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding
