Report: The cost of charter schools for the West Contra Costa Unified School District
In the Public Interest, in partnership with California’s West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) staff, directly measured the financial impact of charter schools on students who attend the district’s traditional public schools.
The report is a follow-up to our 2018 Breaking Point: The Cost of Charter Schools for Public School Districts, which was the first, and continues to be the only, effort to measure the direct cost of charter schools on California school districts.
Key findings from the report include:Charter schools cost WCCUSD $27.9 million during the 2016-17 school year.
- Charter schools cost WCCUSD $27.9 million during the 2016-17 school year.
- WCCUSD loses $978 a year in funding for each charter school student.
In the Public Interest recommends that each California school district should produce an annual report assessing the economic impacts of charter school expansion on district students. This data and analysis will empower local officials to balance the potential value of charter schools against the needs of students.
Our Resources on Public Education
 | The Cost of Charter Schools for Public School Districts
5/8/2018A first-of-its-kind analysis revealing that public school students in three California school districts are bearing the cost of the unchecked expansion of privately managed charter schools.
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 | Fraud and waste in California’s charter schools
3/1/2018A report documenting that total alleged and confirmed fraud and waste in California’s charter schools has reached over $149 million, which represents only the tip of the iceberg due to lax regulation and little transparency.
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 | How charter schools impact public school district budgets
2/23/2018A compilation of studies by a variety of institutions and authors, all which share a similar finding: districts and the students they serve are undermined by prioritizing charter school growth over educational opportunities for all students.
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