Charter-school plan costs $23 million
By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer
Gov. Linda Lingle's plan to give full financing to public charter schools would nearly double the amount of per-pupil money charter campuses now receive and would be a financial boon to the struggling movement.
Hawai'i spends about $6,775 per pupil, while charter schools receive about $3,800 per pupil. Lingle's plan would give charter schools 95 percent of the full per-pupil financing and give the Department of Education 5 percent for administration costs.
"We think 5 percent is more than enough," Lingle said yesterday in detailing education plans outlined the day before in her State of the State address. "Common sense tells you we need money in the classroom and not a bureaucracy."
Lingle said she also will ask lawmakers to remove the cap on the number of charter schools allowed.
Along with creating seven separate school boards and getting principals out of their public worker union, Lingle said fully financing the charter schools is the most important education issue during this legislative session because the schools give parents choices about the type of education they want their child to receive.
But Hawai'i public school officials said that unless the Legislature increases money for charter schools, Lingle's plan will eat into the budget for regular public school students.
"I hope this can be done without taking away from regular public schools," said state school board member Carol Gabbard, vice chair of the board's charter schools committee.
The DOE says it will need $11.5 million next year to pay for charter schools at the current formula of $3,800 per student.
But the budget submitted by the Cayetano administration late last year included $6 million for charter schools, $5.5 million short of what the DOE says it is obligated to spend.
If the formula for charter school financing changes according to Lingle's plan, the DOE would spend about $23 million a year on charter schools.
Lingle said the DOE will have to find the extra charter school money within its budget.
"The DOE will use existing funds that they are now keeping away from charter schools," she said.
Hawai'i's 25 charter schools use public dollars but have their own boards and, with fewer Department of Education rules to follow, they have more freedom to tailor teaching to each of their students.
Enrollment in the state's charter schools increased this year to 3,350 students on 25 charter campuses. There are 182,798 students enrolled in public schools statewide.
Lingle spoke yesterday at Voyager Charter School surrounded by students who told her they liked their teachers and then sang the virtues of their school, literally, as they played 'ukuleles and belted out the tune "I Can See Clearly Now."
"Hi, children," the governor said upon arriving at the school.
"Hiiiiiiiii," they sang back.
"Are you having fun at Voyager School?"
"Yessssss," they answered in unison.
Lingle praised Voyager and other charter schools for getting parents involved in making school decisions on everything from school hours to dress codes.
She also said that regular public schools have discipline problems, and that teachers should receive support from school administrators when they try to remove disruptive students from the classroom.
After getting off to a rocky relationship with the DOE, charter schools advocates have welcomed the governor's comments about nurturing the charter school movement.
"We're on the brink of survival," Principal Sue Deuber said. "We realize that part of the charter school budget will always be fund-raising, but it is really difficult when you are just starting out."
Lingle also said the state should support other educational options, such as schools within a school, magnet schools, e-schooling and homeschooling.
Reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.
