Charter Schools Experience Set Backs

BOSTON — Legislators in both Massachusetts and Louisiana last week dealt blows to charter schools in their respective states. The Massachusetts Senate has voted down legislation to gradually eliminate the enrollment cap placed on some state charters, while the Louisiana State Bond Commission has asked charter school officials to delay their request to devote public school funds to charter school construction.

The Boston measure would have allowed for a steady increase in enrollment at charter schools in poorly performing districts, which supporters say would have also increased educational options for families. The Massachusetts House of Representatives supported the measure in May with a 114-35 vote. However, state senators questioned the hasty expansion, as well as whether or not charter schools were truly helping develop best educational practices, and killed the proposal in a 13-26 vote

“It was always an open question as to whether the Senate was going to pass it, and as we saw today the votes are not there to lift the cap,” said Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Jamaica Plain) told the State House News Service following the vote. “The membership is just too skeptical about charter schools, but up until last night I think it was a dead heat.”

President of the Boston Foundation, Paul Grogan, in speaking with the News Service called the decision “a moment where we failed to live up to our obligations to the children of Massachusetts and their families.” However, the bill’s defeat received broad union support.

Meanwhile, Louisiana State Bond Commissioners are requesting more information about loan repayment before moving forward on a request to channel public school funds into charter school construction. According to The New Orleans Advocate, lawmakers questioned the use of the state’s Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) to repay construction loans incurred by charter schools. MFP funds currently stand at $3.6 billion and support some 700,000 public school students. These funds go largely to school maintenance as opposed to construction, which is more often funded by millages and property taxes.

Speaking with The New Orleans Advocate, House Appropriations Committee State Representative Jim Fannin (R-Jonesboro) remarked, “We’re going to a financial model with the MFP dollars that I don’t feel comfortable with.”

South Louisiana Charter Foundation President John Pierre countered that two communities, as well as the foundation’s partner, Red Apple LLC, have already used a variation of the method successfully to build new charter schools. The Foundation is currently requesting $1.7 million for two K-6 schools already under construction.