,
Staff Writer
published November 21, 2005 6:00 am
RALEIGH — Charter school parents and administrators are petitioning state
lawmakers to get a slice of lottery proceeds for school construction and other
building needs.
North Carolina has 100 charter schools with 30,000 students. Under current
state law, charter schools cannot receive state money to purchase or maintain
buildings.
Getting a chunk of lottery proceeds would free up charter schools to reinvest
in teacher salaries, enrichment programs and developing a better library, said
Jackie Williams, executive director of Evergreen Community Charter School in
Asheville.
"We have a very, very tight budget," Williams said. "That means our teachers
don’t get paid as other state employees. The state spends less money on a child
in a charter school than in another publicly funded school."
Williams said charter schools provide a valuable service to the state as
incubators of education innovation. They often take children at both ends of the
academic spectrum — students with special needs and advanced learners.
The lottery is expected to earn as much as $1.2 billion in its first year.
Instant scratch-off games, the most basic form of the lottery, could be
available as soon as April. Education programs could see as much as $350 million
in the first year.
About 35 percent of the profits are earmarked for education programs such as
smaller classes, public school construction and need-based college scholarships.
Charter schools with kindergarten through fifth-grade students can get lottery
money to lower class size.
Counties with disproportionately high property tax rates would get an extra
share of the school construction money. None of the Western North Carolina
counties are eligible for that money because of their relatively low property
tax rates.
Charter school parents and administrators recently organized a campaign to
convince state lawmakers to get their share of the millions of dollars
traditional public schools would receive each year for buildings and
maintenance.
"I think it’s a question of getting our political leaders to look at the
situation and see the unfairness of the situation," said Ken Patterson, 44, of
Swannanoa. His daughter attends Evergreen Community Charter School.
"Legislatively, we need to talk to our politicians and get people to step up,"
he said.
The political question of funding for charter schools is a flashpoint between
lawmakers who favor vouchers and competition in public schools and lawmakers who
support the traditional public school system.
Capping the number of charter schools in the state at 100 and its funding
formula, which gives money to charter schools on a per-pupil basis while making
the schools pay for their own construction and maintenance, represents an uneasy
compromise between the two camps.
Western North Carolina lawmakers, at least, seem to be taking careful steps
until they get on sure footing with the issue.
"I want to study this thing very carefully and look at the broader picture of
charter schools and how they fit into the overall education system," said Rep.
Ray Rapp, D-Madison, who voted against the lottery.
Rep. Susan Fisher, D-Buncombe, offered a compromise of sorts.
"I wouldn’t be averse to looking at (lottery-funded) scholarship eligibility
for students who attended a charter school," Fisher said. "If you’re eligible
for Pell (federal) grants, you’d be eligible for lottery scholarships."
