Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg.
Access to a fairly funded, high-quality public education is a fundamental human right. Vouchers for private schooling and the incursion into underperforming and/or agenda-driven charter schools are mechanisms – visible – that are the front door to ending public education. Charter school applications or renewals that do not meet or exceed what traditional public education provides do not serve community purposes.
Gov. Josh Shapiro's current budget includes a $1.1 billion increase in public education spending, with approximately $872 million going to the state's poorest districts to ensure students receive a more equitable education. It has become. This is a welcome outcome to a long legal battle. Let's make sure this large amount of money is spent wisely.
Currently, 86% of schools are underfunded by the state's own standards. Just last year, a court ruled that Pennsylvania has an obligation to fairly fund its public schools. Advocates had asked for $6.2 billion to properly fund schools, but $5.4 billion was agreed to in necessary spending. Sending more taxpayer dollars to unnecessary, low-performing charters and vouchers to pay for private schools will deprive severely underfunded schools of much-needed funding.
As governor, Josh Shapiro (D) has the power to appoint new members to open seats on the Charter Board of Appeals. He used the opportunity to meet with Republican charter school advocates who quickly approved the improper application of the Pennwood Cyber Charter, which had been rejected twice before. He has over 50,000 students enrolled in Pennsylvania's Cyber Charter. These schools are among the lowest-performing schools in the Commonwealth, but they are highly profitable for the companies that operate them. Public school districts estimate the cost of educating a student at a cyber charter school is approximately $3,000. But under past policy, public school districts paid cyber charter schools the same amount as brick-and-mortar charter schools. An average of more than $13,000 per student, and an average of more than $23,000 for students with IEPs. The 2024 budget proposes $8,000 per cyber charter student. Still well above cost but needs improvement.
And now, Chester County local Hillsdale Curriculum Valley Forge Classical Academy (VFCA) is up for reconsideration by the Pennsylvania Charter School Board of Appeals after being twice rejected by the West Chester Area School District Board of Education . Hillsdale's curriculum was developed by Hillsdale College in Michigan, a small Christian college with deep ties to the Trump administration. The “1776 Curriculum” is based on Donald Trump's mission to create “patriotic education.” Approving the public's tax dollars to go to this proposed Christian school disguised as a public school not only circumvents public education, but is a complete and utter violation of the separation of church and state. Of course, if parents choose to send their children to private religious schools and pay the associated costs, they should do so. But then again, VFCA is not a viable school. The building is too small, the budget does not cover basic school supplies, the proposed staff are not qualified, and the plan to feed low-income students is adequate…you decide. . There is no cafeteria, so students must bring their own lunch. Children eligible for free school lunches under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in traditional public schools rely on other children in the VFCA to bring them snacks. It's unclear exactly how these “snacks” will be distributed. Perhaps rich kids could put all the snacks in a pile in a “Hunger Games” contest style, or wealthy kids could sponsor low-income kids in a “Save the Children” style. Is not it? Do stale generic Fritos meet her NSLP's requirement to provide nutritionally balanced low-cost or free lunches to children every day?
In Pennsylvania, all charter schools are renewed after five years, according to the Charter School Act. However, if standards are not met, the charter is updated periodically. For example, in Philadelphia (August 2023), of the 19 charter schools applying for renewal, 14 were approved even though 13 did not meet academic standards, and five were under expired agreements. Nine schools did not meet the admission agreement. Pennsylvania gives more than $2.6 billion annually to charter schools. Let's be careful.
Lynn Strauss
Chester County Advancement Social Justice Committee
