Letter to the Editor:
Charter schools are public, tuition-free, and have been legal in NH since 1995. They operate independently of the school district in almost all respects, including finances and governing board. NH’s first charter school, the Franklin Career Academy, opened in 2004 and closed in June 2008. It was designed to help at-risk high school students in a community that had a high dropout rate.
Rep Corelli stated at a recent Carroll County delegate meeting: "There have been three charter schools fail in the past 20 years due to financial reasons." This statement is misleading. Nine charter schools have folded in 20 years if you include lack of enrollment and a combination of reasons. This means 32% of NH’s charter schools have closed in less than five years. Consider the time and money that went into these schools.
In 2023, the NH Department of Education identified 19 schools throughout New Hampshire as Comprehensive Support and Improvement Schools (CIS). These schools show the greatest challenges with academic achievement/student performance. At the High School level six schools on the CIS list. Five of them are charter schools. These charter schools were also identified in 2018 and/or 2022 and have not exited CIS status.
Rep Cordelli also stated: “Across the State we are seeing new charter schools starting up because of the interest and demand." He knows however, primary reasons for the increase in NH charter schools is the $46 million dollar federal grant NH obtained for charter school start-up costs and increased state funding. The federal funding for each school lasts three years, including up to 18 months of planning. Increases in state support include rent support. The new charter school in Ossipee was awarded $1.1 million in federal funds before they had a building and they will receive rent support from the state which will be paid to the founding organization ICC.
Charter Schools receive a base rate in state funding per pupil, with more for kids receiving free lunch, English language-learners, and third-graders who aren't yet proficient in reading. This funding increases every year, as determined by the rise in the Consumer Price Index. This yearly increase is not true for adequate education funds which the state provides to public school districts.
Enrollment at Charter Schools can be limited to specific grade or age levels; student needs; and areas of academic focus (e.g.science). Student selection can be by aptitude, academic achievement, or need; or by a lottery system. Exempt from selection criteria are siblings of students already admitted to the same charter school and children of charter school founders and staff.
Most do not realize, school districts are required to provide certain services to charter schools, including transportation for all cs students residing within the district where the charter school resides, as well as special education services regardless of where the home district is. These expenses are typically paid for by the school district, not the charter school. Consequently, there are typically added costs to school districts for students attending charter schools.
Karen Burnett-Kurie
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