BOE cuts charter schools’ proposed budget

About $51.8M was OK'd, but the system asked for 62M, to get needed facilities

It may be another year of classes in tents for some charter school students, as the state Board of Education last night slashed the charter school system's proposed budget.

About $51.8 million was approved for next school year, however the charter schools requested $62 million, the extra cash being for facilities.

Charter schools are public schools that enjoy autonomy from the state Department of Education on curriculum, spending and personnel decisions but have struggled to make do with per-pupil funding.

Charter schools have been left to find their own facilities. At least one school started out with classes in tents.

A 2005 report by the Charter School Administrative Office projects enrollment to grow by 50 percent to more than 7,000 students.

After the budget was approved yesterday, several board members and the Charter School Administrative Office said they would ask the Legislature for facilities funding, in light of higher enrollment and better student performance at several schools.

The current approved request raises the per-student amount by $29.45 to $6,969.78, said charter school interim Executive Director Maunalei Love.

The board estimates the increase at about $1,000 per student because its calculations include money for teachers and new schools.

But Love says that money should be separate and not part of the per-pupil spending.

"The reality is that the figures of $40,000 for the grievance process, $330,000 for substitute teacher funding, $1,669,381 for estimated collective bargaining costs and $1.5 million for three start-up schools are not factored into the per-pupil amount," Love said.

The budget request was slashed because the state Board of Education has taken the position of not providing additional money for charter school facilities, said budget committee Chairman Garrett Toguchi.

Board member Cec Heftel said, "The time has come for the charters, the public, for the board to go to the Legislature and simply tell them the time has come to be realistic, provide funds for facilities."