From Education Voters of Pennsylvania (http://www.educationvoterspa.org/):
A new report issued by Education Voters of PA finds charter school enrollment patterns are consistent with the likelihood that many charter schools are exploiting the state’s special education funding system by cherry picking students with low-cost special education needs and discriminating against students with high-cost needs.
In the report, “Fixing the Flaws in Pennsylvania’s Special Education Funding System for Charter Schools: How an Outdated Law Wastes Public Money, Encourages Gaming of the System, and Limits School Choice,” our analysis finds that charter schools enroll only half as many students with high-cost special education needs as would be expected in nonbiased system.
Click HERE to read the executive summary of our report.
Click HERE to read our long report, which includes data showing student enrollment in each special education tier for every school district and charter school.
Under the current one-size-fits-all funding system, students whose services cost less than the tuition rate they receive from a school district are a financial gain for the charter school. Those whose services exceed the tuition rate are a financial loss.
“This is like a doctor getting reimbursed for stitching up a small cut at the same rate they’re paid for major surgery and then pocketing the profits,” said Frank Gallagher, superintendent of the Souderton Area School District during a June 30th press conference about the report.
Given the evidence of selective enrollment and the tremendous excess cost to school districts contending with the higher costs and great uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unconscionable that the General Assembly will continue to turn a blind eye to this issue.
“Charter schools say they welcome in kids with IEPs, but the facts are, they only welcome in some kids with IEPs. Yet they are funded as if they welcome all of them. And, our most vulnerable population, disabled children, are the losers in this unfair game,” said parent and special education advocate Lisa Lightner stated in the June 30th press conference.
Lawmakers must tackle the issue of special education funding for charter schools and finally provide parity between district and charter schools.
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