Funding Impact of Charter Schools on IPS District: Summary

 

Concern 1:  Children who remain in IPS schools are penalized

 

2002-2003

Charter

School

Attendance

 

Scenario 1:

90% IPS Students

10% New Students

 

Scenario 2:

50% IPS Students

50% New Students

 

Scenario 3:

0% IPS Students

100% New Students

 

Loss

FTEs

=Loss Per School

Loss

FTEs

=Loss Per School

Loss

FTEs

=Loss Per School

500

$3,067,044

71

$39,832

$3,016,007

70

$39,169

$2,952,379

68

$38,343

1000

$6,080,208

152

$78,964

$5,951,993

149

$77,299

$4,723,334

118

$61,342

1500

$9,086,746

227

$118,010

$8,855,738

221

$115,010

$6,552,157

164

$85,093

 

The “Loss” figure in this table is the loss to the operating funds for the remaining ~40,000 students in IPS.   This figure is the result of money being withheld from IPS, by DOE, to fund the attendees of the new schools, beginning January 2003.  The “=Loss Per School” figure is the “Loss” figure divided by the 77 schools in IPS.

 

If the money were truly “following the student,” IPS would not have a loss in Scenario 3.  This is the result of two different funding formulas being applied to one district.  The losers are the children who remain in IPS schools.

 

Concern 2:  In 2002-2003, charter schools are targeted at the least expensive to educate children, leaving the most expensive to educate students in the current IPS schools.

 

                                    General Fund Dollars

 

Average cost to educate

2001-2002 IPS Enrollment

Elementary

$5,098

21,806

Middle School

$6,074

10,158

High School

$6,623

9,276

 

This increases the penalty on the children remaining in current IPS schools.

 

Concern 3:  With such funding inequity, existing successful programs are likely to be negatively impacted with funding cuts.

 

The amount of children attending charter schools next year will directly impact individual IPS Schools. Class sizes will increase across the district, and all schools likely will be affected.  Since the most expensive (to educate) students remain in current IPS schools, and the successful magnet programs have a higher per pupil cost, it is difficult to see how these programs can remain intact when funding must be cut.  Teaching assistants in these programs reduce the student-teacher ratios, and are an important factor in the success of many elementary level magnet programs, including the 3 Montessori Option Schools.   Other elementary magnet or option programs that may face cuts are the Key Learning Community, the 21st Century School #60, the Center for Inquiry Benjamin Harrison School #2, the G.W. Carver Communication Arts Magnet School #87, the O.E. Brown Communication Arts Magnet School #20, the Nicholson Performing Arts Magnet School #70, the Cold Spring Academic Academy, and the Kilmer Academy School #69. 

 

Additionally art, music and physical education are likely to be cut, due to the way that teachers are allocated to these programs – sometimes shared across schools.    The arts in IPS were facing extinction in 1996 and parents in the district responded angrily.   This is when Parents for Public Education began.

 

 

What Can IPS Parents Do to Protect Funding Intended for Our Children?

 

The funding void left by the Charter School bill has a direct impact on our children’s funding.  Children could leave IPS for any other school district, could drop out, or leave the state, and our district would still retain the minimum guarantee.  However, when they leave for Charter Schools, that money disappears immediately, to fund that student’s education at a charter school.  The impact of IPS students leaving the system to attend charter schools is far greater than when “new” students attends those schools, but even then, IPS loses money – and this is not fair.  That is because there was no fiscal study performed when the Charter School bill was made law; at the time, its proponents claimed that there “would be no fiscal impact to the state.”  In this funding vacuum, the only people who are losers are our children!

 

Incidentally, the Charter Schools also have a funding issue – there is no funding for these startups until January following any year where a school started in August.  That means new charter schools have no funding for 4 ˝ months.  Senator Teresa Lubbers (the charter bill author) recently tried to correct that problem by introducing an amendment to HB1315 that would solve the charter school startup funding problem by taking away an additional $3M from IPS starting in July of 2002. Up until now, she has been unwilling to admit to existing IPS families that there is a funding issue that will impact us, and was unwilling to meet with us, or return our requests for meetings, although she would meet with Charter School organizers with less than a day's notice to work with them. She needs to hear from IPS families, that 1) she doesn't have to hurt us to help the Charters, and 2) if she would work with both of us together, we might get a better long-term solution.

 

Until a funding fix occurs, public school parents must put intense pressure on public officials, at the correct times. 

 

·        CURRENT ACTION ITEM: Target the Indiana Senate and House Representatives.  Parents should write their own State Senator, and copy Senators Robert Garton and Teresa Lubbers. Also write you own House Rep., and Rep. Greg Porter.During the Legislative Sessions (now through March.) Currently, their stance is that “they can do nothing this year, but maybe next year they can.” This is a bad answer.  We want a correction this year.  Even if this is not the “fiscal session” and they can’t currently write bills with funding attached, it is hard to believe that someone in that Legislature can’t add an amendment to an existing piece of legislation that would postpone this impact until such a bill is written next year. 

·        When there are new charter school hearings, the pressure must be applied to the Mayor, or any University that is considering granting charters.  Last year, the schools chosen for Indianapolis charters were announced in December of 2001, but there were hearings in the fall.  Ball State needs to hear from IPS families now, because there is talk of them granting 1 charters here this fall, and seven potential charter operators have applied to them to sponsor schools in Indianapolis.  These entities do not have to sign contracts for more charter schools until the fiscal issues are resolved.  

·        When the City County Council holds hearings regarding charter schools, they need to hear from us, particularly their leadership.  We left messages, or spoke with all of them in December of 2001, asking them to postpone the vote until the funding issue was solved.  Many of them said they had no control over the funding – that was someone else’s problem (i.e. the state), and they planned to go ahead and vote for the charter schools anyway.  They need to know that if they are voting yes to place charters here, the fiscal issue is their problem.

·        Whenever the Indianapolis Star runs an editorial describing how sad it will be if the funding for the charter schools is not corrected (i.e. Tim Swarens 2-7-2002), we must write them to say, “but what about the families of the 40,000 children in IPS that aren’t going anywhere – why don’t you care how this will hurt our kids?” 

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Parents for Public Education

Indiana State Senate

Indiana House of  Representatives

Indianpolis STAR

Email:  mlink@iquest.net

Phone: 232-9400

Phone: 232-9600

Editor@indystar.com

Website: http://ppe.tripod.com for current info on this issue

200 W. Washington St.

Indpls., IN  46204-2785

200 W. Washington St.

Indpls., IN  46204-2786

 

Phone: Diane Hancock 283-3407

            Maureen Jayne 283-8783

     To find your Indiana Senator or House Representative:

                                     http://maps.indygov.org/govprof/html/govprof.htm