Charter Schools Are Still A Thing (Despite Their Lack of Popularity in Washington State)

Before any charter school supporters get huffy, I can only point you to the stats in Washington State.

When the charter law was (finally) upheld in April 2016, there were numbers attached as to how many schools could be opened over a period of time. The law allows for the creation of up to 40 charter schools over five years and it prohibits the opening of more than eight schools in a single year unless fewer than eight schools were opened in the previous year. Let's examine that. 

In 2021-22, there are 17 charter public schools operating, serving more than 4,700 students statewide. Currently, there are ten charter public schools in Washington state, in Highline, Tukwila, Kent, Seattle, Tacoma, Walla Walla, and Spokane. They are not just in the Seattle region but scattered throughout the state. I think this is the greatest number of charter schools that have ever existed in Washington State. 

Seventeen when there could be 40 schools. So, to me, that would mean that charters ARE NOT that popular in Washington State. 

I'm sure that the charter school operators would say that Washington crafting a tough law is why the numbers are so low.  But every charter is eligible for federal start-up funds so it's not like there is nothing helping new ones open. (Charter schools are ineligible to receive local levy funds in Washington.)

As well, there is what comes with the privilege of being a charter - To support their work in issuing and overseeing charter contracts, authorizers receive an oversight fee of 3% if a charter school authorizes 10 or more schools and 4% if they authorize less than 10 schools, which is taken from the charter school’s state operating funding. 

You hear this all the time on Twitter, whining about not getting as much as traditional public schools. There's a reason for that - oversight of public dollars costs money. Plus there is the dirty little secret in charter schools as to why large, wealthy foundations choose to support some schools and not others to the tune of millions of dollars. 

So why am I writing about charter schools?

The Washington State Charter Schools Association has some legislative wishes. One complaint is about no dedicated funding for facilities. They claim charter budgets spend 10% or more on facilities.  Some claim to be spending closer to 20%.

There's this in the state charter school law.

Washington’s charter school law (RCW 28A.710.230) allows charter schools first priority to purchase or lease a school building from a school district in which the charter school is located. In addition, charter schools may rent or use space from a college, university or another public or private entity so long as it meets all local and state health and safety requirements and is fully accessible.

Let's bring in the fact that despite all projects and actual evidence, Seattle Schools has a shrinking enrollment. The district itself says this and yes, their own projections say it will get smaller but, hopefully, plateau. 

So why are multiple small Seattle Public schools being renovated to take up more of their land space? We're not talking going from 250 to say, 350. No, these schools are being renovated to accommodate 450+.  And, given how many buildings in the SPS holdings that also need help, why would you spend more capital dollars on these small schools?

I think SPS is desperate to find new revenue. I'm sure they lost plenty of money during the pandemic from loss of rental dollars. But what if you had a consistent, long-term stream of money, like if you rented or leased space in large buildings to.... charter schools? 

Most charter schools are elementary schools and that's where the big capital expansion is happening in SPS.

Something has DEFINITELY changed because a decade or more ago I sat in SPS Capital Buildings meetings where staff said it would be hugely expensive to renovate small schools like Montlake and also, those small schools did NOT have the land area to support a bigger building with a proper size playground and parking. (One odd signal - why is there not a single set of minutes from any BEX/BTA Oversight Committee meeting from 2022?) 

And yet, here we are. 

As well,  this could just be one step to SPS becoming a charter school authorizer.  I think it possible.

To note, there have been many issues in NYC and LA over traditional public schools sharing space with charter schools. Here's an op-ed from the Los Angeles Times,  It’s a crucial charter-conventional school clash: Baldwin Hills Elementary wants its campus back.

Over the last 20 years, charters encroached on conventional schools’ turf literally as well as figuratively, thanks in part to Proposition 39, which requires school districts to rent empty space on their campuses to charters.

“Colocation” is the somewhat bland term for an inherently tense roommate situation that’s been aggravated by the pandemic, which decimated school attendance and increased real estate prices, prompting charters to lean more than ever on school districts for facilities, and to sue to get their due.

A high-achieving school, Baldwin Hills Elementary, located in a largely Black neighborhood is now pressed for space to continue that work because of a forced co-location with a smaller charter school. 

BHE features ambitious programs. It houses a gifted magnet and serves as a “community school,” with “wraparound” healthcare and family support services. It’s also a so-called pilot school, which gives it the autonomy to offer unique classes such yoga, chess and orchestra. And it’s a designated STEAM campus — science, technology, engineering, the arts and math. In 2020, the state Department of Education designated Baldwin Hills, where 82% of the student body is Black, a distinguished school.

Because of space constraints, Baldwin Hills is out a computer and robotics lab. Orchestra classes have been conducted on the playground blacktop. Students have to eat lunch hurriedly in a time-shared cafeteria. The bathrooms are overcrowded and sometimes unsafe.

Let's see how this unfolds in Seattle Public Schools.

To note: 

The Washington State Charter Schools Association has the following other items on their legislative agenda:

- Supporting Special Education funding. Yes, that might be one item that would get more parents into charter schools if only charter schools actually had good services for most identified students. 

- The 5-year window for the 40 charter schools in the charter law is coming to a close. They want that date extended to try to get more charter schools. This is a very typical charter tactic - blaming others for lack of public interest. 

- Funding equity. As I mentioned above, they don't get the full student funding amount that traditional public schools do to allow for oversight of their operations. In this legislative cycle, they say because statewide they serve more students of color, the State is hurting those students with its funding model. If all the charter schools in Washington State opened their books - fully - so we could see who is getting private funding that balances out the state funding, then I'd listen. 

Currently, there are only two charter authorizers, the Washington State Charter Commission (the only one that can okay around the entire state) and Spokane Schools (the only district in the state to be an authorizer).

Washington charter schools operate as independent Local Educational Agencies (LEA), which effectively means they operate as their own school district. Every charter (or charter group) is its own district.

The amount of state funding a Washington charter school receives is based mostly on student enrollment. How this data is reported affects a charter school’s funding and can result in audit findings if data is reported incorrectly.