Revere school board requests changes in Ohio laws on charter schools
BATH TWP.: For the five members of the Revere Board of Education, enough is enough when it comes to charter school regulations in the state of Ohio.
The board last week unanimously passed a resolution asking Gov. John Kasich and the Ohio General Assembly to “enact meaningful laws to ensure greater accountability and transparency among Ohio charter schools.” Essentially, the board was requesting laws that would fundamentally level the educational playing field and hold charter schools to the same standards as those required of traditional public schools.
“As a board, we are enacting a resolution to change state law regarding charter schools,” board member Diana Sabitsch said before reading the lengthy document into the meeting record.
In addition to changing state law, the resolution requests actions to stop the proliferation of poor-performing charter schools and to establish a separate funding stream for those schools that “does not drain valuable resources from Ohio’s public education system.”
The resolution was signed not only by the five board members, but also by Interim Superintendent P. Joseph Madak and Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer David Forrest.
“It has gone on far too long,” said Madak, referencing the 14 years of operation for charter schools in the state.
The resolution lists 15 separate clauses buttressing the board’s call for action. Among them:
• 511 of the state’s 613 school districts received less per pupil under the state’s funding formula than the minimum $5,745 per pupil received by the charter schools.
• The share of state funding per each Revere student is $398, while the state supplements a charter school for each Revere student at $6,099.
• Ohio’s charter schools have not lived up to their promise of better education with only one of 10 charter school students attending a school rated high performing.
• Charter schools are exempt from more than 150 state education laws.
• About $900 million used to fund charter schools is paid through deductions in public schools’ funding streams.
“Revere cares about how our taxpayers’ money is spent, and we are tired of Revere school board requests changes in Ohio laws on charter schools - Local - Ohio:
