Fact Sheet: Public Charter Schools and the 2014-15 New York State Budget

PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS AND

THE 2014-15 NEW YORK STATE BUDGET


NEW YORK STATE CHARTER SCHOOL FACTS 2014-15

106,590 estimated charter students in New York next year
o (84,464 in NYC; 22,126 Upstate and Long Island)
254 charter schools
o (202 in NYC; 52 Upstate and Long Island)
Charters located in 19 cities and towns statewide.
79% of students are low-income.
93% are students of color.


BUDGET PROVISIONS AFFECTING PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS

1. Prohibits districts from charging rent to co-located charter schools;
2. In NYC, provides access to district space, or funding for private space, for
new schools and expanding schools that need more room;
3. Abandons the charter funding formula for next three years, and in its place
caps student funding increases at $250, $350, and $500 per pupil over the
three yearseven if the charter schools funding would have increased much
more than that under the formula;
4. Gives districts state matching funds to compenstate them for the additional
charter per pupil funding increase;
5. Gives NYC DOE additional state matching funds to compensate them once a
total of $40m has been spent on facilites for the new and growing charters;
6. Subjects charter schools to city or state comptroller audits;
7. Grants charter schools access to prekindergarten funding;
8. Prevents NYC DoE from reversing previously approved co-locations.


Fact Sheet: Public Charter Schools and the 2014-15 New York State Budget


WINNERS
126 schools, over 53,350 students in NYC

New York City Charters in co-located space:
Permanent rent protection for 127 co-located charter schools, serving 53,494
students.
New schools or school expansions between now and Fall 2016 will receive rent-
free space from the NYC DoE or an additional 20% per-pupil funding if free
space is not made available or is inappropriate.
o NYC DoE will control decision-making process, but an appeal is available
o NYC DoE must provide space in or near CSD for which school has been
approved for operation
o FACT: In 2014-15, 92 co-located charter schools are new or expanding.
Many may require additional space, making them eligible for this
provision. At least 68 of these schools still will be growing in the following
year, and more new schools will be approved.
New schools or school expansions approved after October 2016 may receive
rent-free space as arranged by the NYC DoE according to the above provisions
OR state aid for facilities calculated by a formula that roughly mirrors state
"building aid," which in New York City could be 50 to 60 cents for every dollar
spent on rent.

New York City School District:
The state will provide extra aid to NYC after it has distributed a total of $40
million in funding to charter schools for rent in private space .

All school districts where charters are located:
All school districts are eligible for extra state aid equal to the charter school
increase every year for the next three years. This provision ensures local districts
are not affected by the very modest increase in funding for charters.
This provision is particularly generous to New York City, where the state will
subsidize an estimated $21M, $32.4M, and 49.7M. It more than makes up the
$40M local city effort to fund charter space during the next three years.


Fact Sheet: Public Charter Schools and the 2014-15 New York State Budget

WAITING FOR HELP
128 schools, serving some 52,976 students

NYC: 76 schools, over 30,000 students
Buffalo: 15 schools, over 8,000 students
Rochester: 14 schools, over 4,000 students
Albany: 9 schools, over 3,000 students
Elsewhere: 14 schools, over 6,088 students

New York City Charters currently in private space:
Zero assistance for their facility costs, which must come from their per pupil
operating funds already a significant burden in NYCs high-cost real estate
market.
o That affects 76 schools in private space (40% of all charters in NYC),
serving 30,850 students (36.5% of the students).
All students likely to miss out on additional per pupil funding they would have
received in years two and/or three of the budget deal, had Albany done nothing
and simply let the funding formula run.

Buffalo:
No facilities aid for its 15 schools serving over 8,000 students.
Would have received estimated additional $444 per pupil if budget did nothing
and let the formula run according to law. Instead, schools will receive an
additional $250 per pupil in 2014.
Funding changes cost Buffalo charter schools $1.4 million in per pupil funding.
As a consequence of the state paying the full share of increases rather than
districts paying a portion, future increases in 2015 and 2016 capped at $350 and
$500, respectively. Its highly likely that the funding gap between charters and
host districts will increase.

Rochester:
No facilities aid for 14 schools, serving over 4,000 students.
Short-changed $2.0M in per pupil funding vs. the formula. Would have received
additional $761 per pupil last year, will instead receive $250 per pupil last year
under this budget.
Future increases in 2015 and 2016 capped at $350 and $500, respectively.

Albany:
No facilities aid for 9 schools, serving more than 3,000 students.
Per pupil funding held flat for fourth consecutive year, which is slightly better than
the funding formula in 2014-15 (forecasts showed formula decrease of $143 per
pupil next year). Future increases capped at $350 and $500, respectively.