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Charter Schools Information
EQUAL FUNDING FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS
Charter schools want equal funding from lottery
1/18/2006 4:46:41 PM
By: Tim Boyum & Web Staff
(RALEIGH) -- The lottery doesn't start for two and a half months but the fight over money has already begun.
Charter schools across the state are demanding they get equal funding from lottery proceeds.
High school senior Daniel Roberts said charter schools allow him to learn at his own pace.
"Here it was completely allowed, for example the Latin class I'm in," he explained. "It's Latin-5 and it's just me because no one else is ready to take it. I talked to my Latin teacher and we're doing some Greek too."
There are currently 97 charter schools statewide with nearly 30,000 students. They represent two percent of all students statewide.
"Charter schools are founded by interested parties who want a certain kind of school," Principal Dr. Thomas Humble stated. "So the school has a charter and that charter is the school's mission. Our charter is focused on college preparatory and high school education for students."
The kids must still take all state required tests too. Charter schools do get state and county money for each student but that's it.
While public schools get money from counties and the state, charter schools get none of that for school construction. That's why they said they especially need this extra lottery money.
"The lottery in North Carolina constitutes brand new funding," Tom Vass of the North Carolina Students for Lottery Funding explained. "It's new development in North Carolina politics."
Lawmakers who spoke with News 14 Carolina said charter schools don't get construction money in the state budget so they kept it the same for the lottery.
The education lottery could bring in $400 million a year and 40-percent of that goes to school construction.
"What we want the General Assembly to do is designate a flow of funds to charter schools so that charter schools can use the money to whatever way they deem fit," Vass stated.
They face an uphill battle but they said they will fight to the end until they get equal funding.
The group of charter schools plan to hold public education seminars across the state.
Members also plan to flood legislators with information hoping to get the law changed this spring.
Copyright © 2006 TWEAN d.b.a. News 14 Carolina - www.news14.com
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