Yesterday, a landmark piece of legislation for the school choice movement passed 22-13 in the Senate, with a large bipartisan majority backing the bill. It passed with the support of almost every Republican and a number of Democrats willing to buck the teachers union, which opposed the bill vociferously.
The landmark legislation, SB16-188, would equalize mill levy override funding provided to schools, to ensure that students at neighborhood schools and students at charter schools receive the same amount per pupil.
Unions and their supporters want the status quo where charter school students are forced to get by on less simply because they chose to attend a different public school.
And this ain’t chump change folks — we’re talking $25 million a year that charter students are currently being deprived of.
The CEA is pushing the message that some charter schools are “fine” with the current arrangement that deprives them of equal funds. Somehow, we doubt that’s the case.
Those who voted against this are going to have some serious explaining to do back in his district. What will they say to parents of charter school students? That they believe their students deserve less funding because they chose a charter school?
Some say that charter school funding equalization is a top civil rights issue of our time. Congratulations to those who pushed this important piece of legislation through and a pox on those who voted no.