Wolf, legislators push for charter school reform
Gov. Tom Wolf addresses the media March 18 in the lobby of General McLane High School in Washington Township during a visit to promote his 2015-16 budget and specifically his plans to increase funding for public education in Pennsylvania. CHRISTOPHER MILLETTE/ERIE TIMES-NEWS
Legislators on both sides of the aisle are working on common cause: charter school reform.
Bills working their way through both the House and the Senate would change the way charters operate and are funded, including one by state Sen. Sean Wiley aimed at decreasing the cost of charters and increasing their academic performance.
And Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed a budget that includes his own set of charter reforms, including the establishment of a uniform tuition rate and the elimination of fund balances.
Voices demanding charter reform aren't new, but they are reaching new levels in Harrisburg.
"We've been essentially trying an experiment with the advent of charter schools, and in Pennsylvania it has been over a 15-year experiment," said Erie schools Superintendent Jay Badams, who has been a vocal opponent of current charter school law. "As with any experiment, you should check your results and adjust accordingly.
"Finally, not just our legislators but the public is finally starting to ask the same question: 'How is this experiment faring?'"
Wiley's proposed reforms are aimed at both cost and performance.
Under the current law, districts pay cyber charter schools the same amount as brick-and-mortar charters, and districts might pay different amounts to send students to the same cyber charter school.
Senate Bill 128 would create a competitive bidding system in which online public education providers can bid to become the primary cyber charter provider in a designated region.
Only online schools or programs that score at or above the statewide academic performance average would be eligible to bid.
Another bill, House Bill 530, would create a funding commission to make recommendations about how charters are funded. It would also set limits on charters' allowable unassigned fund balances and provide for the refund of excess fund balances to tuition-paying districts, and allow for longer charter renewals for high-performing charters, among other reforms.
Charter reform has become a visible issue because the state is working to identify both the proper way to fund education and the costs borne by school districts, said Wiley, of Millcreek Township, D-49th Dist.
The cost of cyber charters, in particular, to districts is more than $420 million a year, he said.
"What I've attempted to do with our legislation is really have a comprehensive approach, where we can systemically change the system and make it better," Wiley Wolf, legislators push for charter school reform - GoErie.com - Erie, PA:
