Commentary: The steep price of charter schools by Texas State Rep. Mary E. González and Michael Lee

Texas state representative Mary Gonzalez and Michael Lee in this commentary lay out what amounts to a new reason why we should resist funding charter schools as a state, citing of the exportation of our tax dollars to other states as a consequence of approving Learn4Life and Doral charter schools: 

"Exporting your tax dollars to another state removes those funds from the Texas economy, enriching other states at the expense of our own. That’s something we should be reluctant to do at any time, much less in the middle of a global pandemic, historic unemployment and an economic recession. But this is nothing new. These are simply the most recent charter companies with out-of-state ties to be approved to operate in Texas."

A pertinent policy solution that would save at least $882 million that would go to traditional public schools is one where charters receive the same per-student funding as the districts where charters are located (source: Support a legislative agenda for all Texas students in 2019 and level the playing field for public schools). 

-Angela Valenzuela

Commentary: The steep price of charter schools

By Mary E. González and Michael Lee, For the Express-News Jan. 21, 2021

Charter schools receive an average of $1,150 more per student compared with the traditional school district.

Photo: Tom Reel /Staff photographer

We’ve all heard how overly complex accounting systems at the Pentagon led to $400 hammers and $7,000 coffee makers. Well, Texas has something akin to that: charter schools.

Under the current charter school funding scheme in Texas, charter schools receive on average $1,150 more per student compared with the traditional school district in which the charter school is located. That’s right: The state pays charter schools more to do the same job as your local school district.

There were 296,127 students — or 5 percent of all students — enrolled in charter schools, according to a 2018 report from the Texas Education Agency. That means the state paid more than $340 million for something traditional public schools are already doing. Those funds would go a long way toward providing enhanced education services at traditional public schools.

Each and every charter school resides in a fully operating traditional school district. Those traditional school districts already do the same job as charter schools. They educate our children. The state hasn’t set up a separate state-supported firefighting system to compete with existing firefighting departments. That would be absurd — and so is setting up duplicative school systems.

Our traditional school districts do a remarkable job educating our children. Each time the state has raised the bar in its accountability system, traditional public schools have met the challenge — and then some. In addition, traditional school districts have led the way in adapting to the new environment brought about by COVID-19. They have reinvented everything from how children interact with their teachers, to providing food for our children, to helping ensure internet connectivity for students. Our traditional public schools are leading the way, and they deserve our respect and thanks.

Recently, two out-of-state companies were approved to run charter schools in Texas: Learn4Life charter school has ties to California, and Doral Charter School has ties to Florida. Once those charter schools are operational, they will receive taxpayer dollars from Texas. Learn4Life will send 15 percent of its revenue to California. Doral will send $750 per student to Florida.

Exporting your tax dollars to another state removes those funds from the Texas economy, enriching other states at the expense of our own. That’s something we should be reluctant to do at any time, much less in the middle of a global pandemic, historic unemployment and an economic recession. But this is nothing new. These are simply the most recent charter companies with out-of-state ties to be approved to operate in Texas.

Building and investing tax dollars in a duplicative education system is concerning, even in the best of times. Given the economic environment and grim budget situation the state faces, it threatens both the education system that our kids need to learn in the post-COVID-19 world and the education our kids need for the future.

State Rep. Mary E. González is a member of the House Public Education Committee, the House Appropriations Committee and the Legislative Budget Board. Michael Lee is the executive director of the Texas Association of Rural Schools.