Take Action: Talking Points to Advocate for the Protection of Charter School Funding

When you email, call, or meet with officials, or share your support publicly, here are clear, concise points you can use:

• “Charter students deserve equity.” The law requires commensurate funding. Charter students should not be treated as second-class citizens in their own public school system.

• “Facilities costs are crushing our schools.” Charters spend $2,500 per student on facilities every year while districts can deduct their own costs. Removing debt service deductions is basic fairness.

• “The 2% cap was created for a reason.” Raising it to 5% takes money from classrooms and ignores the original intent of limited district oversight for autonomous schools.

• “Stop the loopholes.” Vague “districtwide expenses” language allows excessive withholdings that have left some charters with only 75% of their funding. That must end.

• “MSDE must lead with transparency.” No regulation should move forward until MSDE publicly reviews and analyzes the August 22 funding formulas from districts.