Charter Fact Sheet
Charter Schools Are Public Schools
Charters are open to everyone, free of charge. They operate independent of the local school system and are overseen by the state. They are founded by parents and community leaders who believe there are educational needs that are not being met by district schools. They cannot - and do not - select their students. If there are more students than available seats, they hold public lotteries to decide who enrolls.
Charter public schools provide educational choice for parents and expand educational opportunity for their children.
Choice is a powerful tool for parents seeking equal access to quality educational opportunities for their children. Since the first school opened in 1995, enrollment has steadily risen and demand has remained strong. More than 27,000 children are enrolled in Commonwealth charters with nearly 35,500 on wait lists. More than 3,800 students are enrolled in Horace Mann charters with more than 2,000 on wait lists. That's a little more than 2% of statewide enrollment.
There is no loss of public school funding because charter schools are public schools.
Charters are funded by allocating a portion of education spending from districts based on how much money districts spent on each student. Since districts no longer educate these students, they no longer receive the funding. However, districts that host charters receive additional aid from the state. Every time there is an increase in the amount of money that is allocated to charters - whether it be because a new charter opens or because there is an increase in district spending - those dollars are reimbursed by the state for six years at a rate of 100% the first year and 25% for the next five years. That means districts get more than double their money back over that period, giving them time to adjust their budgets for the loss of enrollment.
Charter public schools receive less than what districts actually spend.
Charter public schools have to stretch their education dollars further because they must finance their own facilities. District schools receive generous subsidies from the state ranging from 50% to 80% of the total cost of the buildings. Charter schools are not eligible to receive these subsidies. According to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), charters receive approximately 75% of what districts actually spend. Several expenses paid by districts are not included in the charter calculation because charters do not incur these costs. These include the costs of sending special needs students to "out-of-district" independent schools, and health benefits for retired teachers.
Oversight of charters is strong.
In exchange for specific freedoms (in organizational structure, mission, and academic program), charter public schools are held to a high level of scrutiny by the state. Charters first go through a rigorous application process before being approved or rejected by the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Schools are evaluated every year by the state DESE. Charters must be renewed every five years. If schools do not perform up to standards, they can be shut down. Several have. Charter finances are reviewed by independent auditors and are also subject to additional audits by the State Auditor. Massachusetts' application process and oversight practices have been rated the toughest in the nation.
Charter public schools are closing the achievement gap
Charter public schools have proven that children from urban communities can achieve at the same level as children from the affluent suburbs. Charters are moving disadvantaged children from the back of the pack to the front of the pack, arming them with the tools they will need to succeed in college and the work force.
Two studies by prominent, independent researchers found that charter public schools are closing the achievement gap between poor, minority students and affluent, white students.
- A study by Harvard and MIT researchers for The Boston Foundation (2008) showed that Boston charters erased half the achievement gap in a single year. Students who entered charters in the fourth grade improved their test scores from Boston's average to Brookline's average by the eighth grade. Brookline is one of the state's top districts.
- In Boston, where there is the largest concentration of charters, the five highest performing public high schools are all charters and seven of the eight highest performing public middle schools are charters (based on 2010 MCAS scores comparing open admission public schools).
- The state DESE (2006) found that widest gap in MCAS scores between charters and districts was among African American, Hispanic, and low-income students.
Charter public schools mainly serve disadvantage students.
Charter public schools are primarily located in urban areas and serve a higher percentage of African American, Hispanic, and low-income students than the rest of the state and lower percentages of special needs students and children who are considered "Limited English Proficient" (LEP). Designating children as "special needs" or LEP depends on a subjective analysis by school administrators. Charter public schools avoid over-labeling these children and strive to educate them in regular classrooms.
Charter public schools are collaborating with districts
Dozens of collaborative programs are taking place across the state between charter and district schools and their teachers and administrators. For a partial list of programs, go to: www.masscharterschools.org/schools/cdcollaborate.html.
In 2011, Boston charter public schools and the Boston Public Schools agreed to create a new "Compact" that would pave the way for a new era of cooperation and collaboration between charter public and district public schools for the benefit of all Boston schoolchildren.
The Compact broadens choice for parents, improves collaboration between charter and district schools and facilitates the sharing of innovative practices. The Compact also benefits charter and district teachers, expanding opportunities for sharing best practices, fostering collaborative relationships to explore new models of urban education, and expanding opportunities for shared teacher professional development.
Across the state charters and districts are engaging in many collaborative efforts to improve public education. The Charter School Office of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has created a searchable database of best practices created by charter public schools and shared with district schools. Visit http://www.doe.mass.edu/charter/bestpractices/ to view available best practice models.
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