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Charter Schools Information
FUNDING FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF CHARTER SCHOOLS
School wants lottery funds
January 18,2006
BY Michael Abernethy
Staff Writer
A Kinston charter school has sided with others in the state that want to amend the state lottery law to provide construction money for their facilities.
Administrators of Children's Village Academy believe charter schools deserve specific funds for school construction like other public schools. But a state representative who helped guide lottery legislation through the General Assembly thinks that's a bad idea.
Gloria Carr-Battle, headmistress of Children's Village Academy, said she is prepared to lobby state legislators and Gov. Mike Easley over the issue.
"I don't know how they feel like they can leave the charter schools out," Carr-Battle said. "I feel like they are going to have to put us in because we are a public school."
Charter schools receive public funds for educational activities the same as traditional public schools, but not for physical needs. Though accountable to the state Department of Public Instruction, like traditional public schools, they operate outside the control of school district administrators.
Under the North Carolina Lottery Act, 40 percent of lottery revenue is designated for the construction and maintenance of public school facilities. There is no provision for charter schools in the act.
Lavinia Hall, finance officer for the academy, thinks the absence of charter school payouts was an innocent mistake.
"The General Assembly are the people that make everything click and go. They made charter schools happen," Hall said. "I can't imagine them saying that we don't exist. I honestly think it was just an oversight"
But Rep. Stephen LaRoque, R-Lenoir, doesn't foresee a change in the lottery act if it is discussed during this year's session of the General Assembly.
"Charter schools aren't getting funding for building at this time anyway. They get funding based on the number of students they have but they don't get funding for buildings," LaRoque said. "I don't see any real need to use lottery money for building (at charter schools) at this time.
Despite opposition in the Legislature, Hall believes the schools will see a quick resolution in their favor.
"It's a blessing to have the lottery in North Carolina," Hall said. "(Legislators) aren't going to want a big fuss. Someone's going to wake up and say, 'Oh, we made a mistake.' "
Kinston's other charter school, Kinston Charter Academy, has not taken a position on the issue. Chief Executive Officer W.D. Anderson said he had no comment until the charter school's board discussed lottery funding.
Michael Abernethy can be reached at (252) 527-3191, Ext. 273, or at mabernethy@ freedomenc.com.
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