School Choice Fact Sheet from Statewide Study:

School Choice Fact Sheet from Statewide Study

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FLORIDA -FACT SHEET-STATEWIDE STUDY ON SCHOOL CHOICE

---

I.  Private School Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarships


•    In 2012-13, there were 51,075 FTC vouchers awarded state-wide at $4,335 each.  Corporations received tax rebates by contributing to the Step Up for Children Foundation which distributes the scholarships to students who qualify for the Free and Reduced Lunch program.  Total dollars disbursed was $206,974,102.
 http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/Information/CTC/files/Fast_Facts_FTC.pdf

•    McKay scholarships are funded directly from tax dollars to students with disabilities who have an IEP or a 504 plan. These scholarships may be awarded to public or private schools.  Private schools received 26,611 McKay scholarships.  IEP Scholarships averaged $7,019 each and 504 plan scholarships averaged $3977.  Total money disbursed in 2012-13 was $168,890,916.
https://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/Information/McKay/files/Fast_Facts_McKay.pdf

•      Private schools are not required to take the FCAT and do not receive school grades; their curriculum, accreditation, teacher certification, and evaluation
  standards are less stringent than public school requirements.
https://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/Information/Private_Schools/choosing_a_private_school.asp

•    Most students receiving FTC and McKay scholarships attend private, religious schools: 73% of FTC students attended religious schools, and 64% of McKay students do. (same sources)


II.  Charter Schools-DEMOGRAPHICS


•    There are 574 charters which is 14.5% of Florida public schools.  Charters enroll 203,000 students.
http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/Information/Charter_Schools/ http://dashboard.publiccharters.org/dashboard/schools/page/overview/state/FL/year/2013

•    Charter school demographics:  37% Hispanic; 35% White; 23% African American; 5% Other.  51% Free and Reduced Lunch;   9% ESE

•    Public School demographics:   30% Hispanic; 41% White; 23% African American; 6% Other.  59% Free and Reduced Lunch; 19% ESE
(Source: Fla.DOE. I don’t know if charters are included in the public schools data.)

•    Charters have more racial imbalance than public schools: In 2011, 1/8 charters are 90% single race; 1/12 public schools are 90% single race; In Miami 25 charters hare 90% Hispanic above the 65% Hispanic percentage in Miami schools.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-05-01/news/fl-charter-schools-segregation-20110501_1_charter-schools-florida-charters-marie-turchiaro. 


MANAGEMENT


•    Charter schools are under contract to local school boards.  They are funded at the same per student level as public schools plus (in 2013) the $91 million state PECO tax dollars to support maintenance and payments for privately owned buildings. Most districts, however, do not allocate local referendum funds to charters. Charters cannot do bond issues. http://www.fldoe.org/fefp/pdf/fefpdist.pdf. Public school districts with 2.5% growth received $6 million in PECO, others received none.  http://www.fldoe.org/fefp/pdf/fefpdist.pdf.

•    Charter schools are managed by the charter holder or by either non-profit or for-profit educational management companies.
(I am not clear why/how this is legal; the law says ‘non-profit’)

•    Three for-profit management companies control 27% of Florida’s charter schools.  Management fees of about $450s per student are usual.   In addition to lease or debt service payments that are often at least 20% of the total school budget:  

•    The three largest for profit management companies in Florida are:  Academica: 91schools, Charter USA: 44, Imagine: 14.  They account for 27% of charters. (source:  websites).  Source: auditor general http://www.myflorida.com/audgen/pages/chschools_efile%20a-h.htm.

•      If a charter closes, the facility remains with the private owner. (Fla.DOE)

•    Florida Auditor General Summary Findings of Charter Schools:  1) 15 audits were not submitted in 2011-12; 27 audits were more than 45 days late, and 4 were received after the March 2013 deadline. 2) audits disclosed instances of noncompliance with certain requirements, primarily related to the reports, letters, and financial statement note disclosures. 3) comprehensive review of a sample… disclosed apparent noncompliance primarily related to thee presentation of financial statements and note disclosures, budgetary comparison schedules and schedule of expenditures required for Federal Single Audits.
•     http://www.myflorida.com/audgen/pages/summaries/2013-187.pdf

•    Charters are big business:  http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/19/v-fullstory/2541051/florida-charter-schools-big-money.html#ixzz1gVm5fARf


ACHIEVEMENT


•    Charter schools participate in the FCAT and school grade programs. There is no consistent difference in achievement for charters and public school students. (Source: CREDO: http://credo.stanford.edu/research-reports.html)

•    One percent of public schools had an F school grade on FCAT , and 6% of charters did in 2011 report


CLOSURES


•    Nationally charters close for the following reasons:  financial 41.7 %; mismanagement 24% and academic 18% (Center for Educational Reform 2011)

•    Statewide closure rate of charters is 20% percent. Charters are 50% of all F rated schools in 2011 (sourcehttp://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/479262/jeff-reece/2011-07-28/edujax-half-floridas-failing-schools-are-charters)


CONFLICT OF INTEREST


•    Senator John Legg Chair of Senate Education Committee is co founder and business administrator of Daysprings Academy in Port Richey.

•    Senator Kelli Stargel is on board of McKeel Academies.  Senator from Orange Cty. She is on this committee and sponsored Parent Trigger Bill.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20130429/EDIT02/130429282

•    House Budget Chairman Seth McKeel on board of McKeel Academy Schools in Polk County.

•    Anne Corcoran wife of future House Speaker Richard Corcoran delays opening her charter school in Pasco County. http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/pascos-classical-prep-charter-school-delays-opening-for-a-year/1276912.

•  Richard Corcoran is Chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

•    Senator Anitere Flores of Miami is president of an Academica managed charter school in Doral.

•    Florida Representative Erik Fresen is Chair of the House Education subcommittee on Appropriations.  Fresen’s sister is the Vice President of Academica.  http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/ethics-commission-clears-miami-rep-erik-fresen-alleged-voting-conflict.  She is married to the President of Academica.http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/14/2545708_p2/company-cultivates-links-to-lawmakers.html

•    George Levesque, Florida House lawyer cleared Erik Fresen of conflict of interest concerns over charter schools.  He is the husband of Patricia Levesque, former Jeb Bush Deputy Chief of Staff and currently Executive Director of the Foundation  for Excellence in Education which promotes school choice.
http://www.truthabouteducation.org/1/archives/01-2010/1.html.

•    Representative Manny Diaz is Dean of Doral Academy, an Academica.  He is the leader for the new statewide contract bill passage in the Florida House. Doral College was cited by the Florida Auditor General for a  $400,000 loan from Doral Charter High School.

•    Conflict of Interest and procurement for Charters with federal grants:http://floridacharterschools.org/schools/taps/conflictinterest_att.pdf