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Charter school awesomeness
Two great examples of charter school awesomeness from across Ohio this week. First up is a look at Dayton Early College Academy’s annual Black History Month Show, which took place on February 18. The story is told in the words of the students and staff members who not only explain this year’s theme—“Black Joy: People. Places. Stories.”—but also embody that theme with talent, drive, and commitment. It is beautiful. Second is this great profile of Northwest School of the Arts in Cleveland, a charter school where the teaching staff includes more Black males (an amazing 40 percent) than dozens of other schools combined. Parents and students are drawn to the school for that reason (among many), and it’s all a part of school leaders’ plan to best support students. “We are the Black men that step up for them. We are the Black men that show up for them, and so we have to teach them,” says principal Derrick Lockett. And he says that seeing so many accomplished Black professionals every day provides a vital narrative that directs students toward success and excellence. Fantastic.
More money to support students
The first analysis of the education funding proposals in Governor DeWine’s new budget was released by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission this week. Media outlets around the state have been very quick to assert—negatively—that the next biennial budget contains more money for charters and private schools and less money for districts, as compared to the current biennium. This is true, but it is a feature built into the Fair School Funding Formula and not a bug. To wit: Charter and private school enrollment has increased while traditional district school enrollment has decreased and state money goes where the students are. And districts with increasing property values are the ones whose state funding is decreased the most…just like the formula has always stated.
Charter school accountability in Ohio is just different
Steel Academy is one of a number of Akron-area public schools whose poor academic performance places them on a list of schools requiring state support and intervention to improve, the Beacon-Journal reported this week. But the dropout recovery charter school faces a lot more trouble than just poor performance: It has lost tons of students in recent years, has nearly half a million dollars in unpaid bills, and recently flunked a state-mandated performance audit. Some ideas are being floated to save the school—and if it were a district building there would be no question—but it seems likely that Ohio’s stringent charter school accountability system will end up making closure the only option due to that plethora of problems.
Good news from Indy
Last week, we talked about an Indiana bill which proposes that all Hoosier districts that have at least 100 students living within district boundaries and attending charter schools share their local tax revenue with those charters according to a prescribed formula. Senate Bill 518 was passed by the full Senate on February 20 with a 28-21 vote after hours of debate and a few amendments. It now heads to the House.
Definite problem; possible solution
Leaders of Cleveland Metropolitan School District, facing an ongoing shortage of bus drivers, agreed this week to shell out an additional $3 million to third party contractors in order to transport all the charter and private school students living in district boundaries so as to avoid fines from the state. It is interesting to note that one local contractor offers almost double the hourly wage to drivers that CMSD does, which probably explains those hiring woes. But even so, it would likely be cheaper overall for the district to contract all transportation—eliminating payroll, benefits, insurance, bus purchases, fuel, storage lots, etc., etc. And given their looming budget deficit, it feels like a no-brainer. But here’s a look at a pilot project in Montgomery County that might just be a harbinger of future help for transportation-challenged districts across the state. It’s small and limited for now (focusing mainly on long-haul transportation for students with special needs), but the description of how it works—think rideshare program with flexible vehicles and ESC oversight—seems promising in larger contexts too. Take a look!
Register now for an important charter facilities event
New Plan Learning is hosting its inaugural Charter School Facility and Finance Summit coming up on April 10. It’s an in-person event being held in Columbus and designed to bring charter school leaders together with industry experts to explore innovative solutions for school growth, facility development, and financing strategies tailored to meet the unique needs of charter schools. More information, including details on the experts presenting at the summit and a registration link, can be found here. Additionally, NPL is looking for nominees for their first ever Charter School Innovators Award, the winner of which will be announced at the summit. More information and a nomination form are here.
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