This report, prepared for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute by Public Impact, compares charter school funding and district school funding. It finds that charter schools are under-funded compared to their district counterparts, even after accounting for differences in students and grade levels. These findings should be taken seriously by those who argue that charter schools drain funds from district schools.

Prepared for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute By Public Impact

Policy Priority:
School Funding
Topics:
School Finance
Charter Schools
Tags:
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Chester E. Finn, Jr., scholar, educator and public servant, has devoted his career to improving education in the United States. At Fordham, he is now Distinguished Senior Fellow and President Emeritus. He’s also a Volker Senior Fellow at…

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Bryan C. Hassel is co-director of Public Impact. He consults nationally on charter schools and the reform of existing public schools. In the charter school arena, he is a recognized expert on state charter school policies, accountability and oversight systems, and facilities financing. Other areas of education reform in which he has worked extensively include school district restructuring, comprehensive school reform, and…

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Michelle Godard Terrell is an independent consultant who has been working with Public Impact since 1999. She has been involved in extensive research and writing about accountability issues and other charter school topics. She served as coordinator for the Charter Friends National Network's Accountability Initiative, managed a two-year national project on 'Building Excellence in Charter School Authorizing' for…

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