Robin Jacobowitz, Institute for Education and Social Policy, New York University, Jonathan S. Gyurko, Office of New Schools Development, New York City Department of EducationMarch 2004
This report provides a useful counter to those who claim that charter schools steal money from traditional public schools. The New York City data show that charters receive less money per pupil than district schools. The overall disparity is not huge: $8,400 for charter school students compared to $9,000 for district students. But the gap ranges from $500 per student (for regular middle and high school students) to as much as $7,600 per student (for elementary special education students). And that's without counting capital dollars and facilities. This analysis is thorough and straightforward. Perhaps it will help thwart proposed legislation in Albany which would "reduce funding to charter schools on the assumption that charter school resources . . . is [sic] inflated." Given that Public Impact's recent study of charter funding in Dayton, Ohio found the same pattern-charters receive less per-pupil than district schools-we suspect this is a national trend. Perhaps some day the facts will overwhelm the anti-charter rhetoric. This report is available online.
