Charter schools in Arizona receive $34.8 million in federal funding

By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services

PHOENIX – Arizona will receive $34.8 million in federal funding to support the creation and expansion of charter schools in the state.
The program offers up to $300,000 to nonprofit organizations that want to establish a new school as an alternative to traditional public schools. Funds would also be available to existing charter schools to expand their operations.
Public schools Superintendent Tom Horne, whose agency is administering the grant, estimates the grant amount will be enough to create 24 new charter schools and expand another 23 — enough to serve about 10,000 students.
According to Mark Francis, who works with the state Department of Education on charter issues, the idea is not to permanently subsidize these schools but to get them off the ground. He said that includes everything from hiring specialists to program planning to purchasing the necessary chairs and desks.
But Francis said that once they are up and running, they are expected to be self-sustaining with the help they receive from the state.
According to the Department of Education, charters, which are technically public schools in Arizona, receive an average of $9,313 per student in state funding. In comparison, the cost of traditional public schools is $8,086.
On the one hand, the state does not fund transportation costs for charter schools. However, the state provides some additional dollars to charter schools because, unlike traditional public schools, they cannot collect local taxes.
In both cases, however, schools are not allowed to charge tuition fees.
Francis said not everyone who wants to open a charter school is eligible.
Aside from vetting applicants for their qualifications to run a school, he said the terms of the federal government’s designated funding require that the school be designed to serve “educationally disadvantaged” communities. Francis said this means 30% of students come from families eligible for free or reduced-price meals, or the same percentage come from minority communities.
He also said schools geared toward serving children with special needs, such as those with autism or a disability, would also be eligible.
That also means, Francis said, that these funds are open to many different geographic areas of the state.
The additional money to open more charter schools comes as many traditional schools struggle with declining enrollment. Some districts are even being forced to close schools.
However, Horne said he does not see the expansion of the charter school system — there are more than 600 in Arizona — as the cause of these changes.
“Charter schools in Arizona date back to the 1990s,” he said. And Horne, who said he was an advocate for charter schools when he was a state legislator, said they serve a legitimate purpose.
“Even a good district school may not necessarily meet the needs of all students,” he said. “And so parents should have the opportunity to find a school that meets those needs.”
And just like traditional schools, any student can apply, although charter providers cannot set admission requirements.
But traditional schools can’t turn away students who live in their district. However, charter operators can limit admissions by using a lottery system to determine who is admitted.
However, there are some differences.
A person does not have to be a certified teacher to work at a charter school. However, the law prohibits a charter school from hiring someone whose teaching license has been surrendered or revoked.
Francis said applications are now available for those who would like to apply for a scholarship. He said the process is designed so that if approved, a new or expanded school could open next August.
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