OSPI candidate Chris Reykdal’s statement on the recent charter school grant to Washington State
We sent the following question to OSPI State Superintendent candidates Erin Jones and Chris Reykdal:
“Given the legal uncertainty of charter schools in our state, as head of the OSPI, would you distribute the Federal money to the existing charter schools and provide funding to set up new charter schools?”
The post Our question to OSPI candidates Erin Jones and Chris Reykdal about the recent charter school grant to Washington State provides more information on the $245M Federal charter school grant.
Both candidates responded and to follow is the response provided by Chris Reykdal:
I am very troubled that our state pursued federal funding for charter expansion before the substantial legal questions surrounding charter schools in our state have been resolved. Here is what I have been able to gather:
- The Charter Commission pursued this money, but it required the signature of the State Education Agency (OSPI in our case);
- The money can only be spent on current charters and future charter schools, but not more general “innovation” schools operated by our public schools; and
- Because this money was not appropriated by the Legislature, it will require an “unanticipated receipts” process through the Office of Financial Management (OFM) before the Charter Commission and/or OSPI can expend the dollars. The Legislature will have the authority to appropriate these funds during a 2017 supplemental budget action, but until then, these funds are only expendable with OFM approval.
I do not think it is appropriate to allocate these funds to existing charter schools or expansion of charters until our courts have ruled on the pending lawsuit. That said, this allocation question will most certainly be settled before the next Superintendent is in OSPI candidate Chris Reykdal’s statement on the recent charter school grant to Washington State | Seattle Education: