A special analysis by KidsOhio.org

Transcription

1 Who are the Columbus students attending charter schools? A special analysis by KidsOhio.org An independent advocacy group dedicated to improving the lives and education of children.

2 A Special Analysis by KidsOhio.org Executive Summary Charter school growth Charter schools are independently operated, publicly funded alternatives to traditional public schools. Since 1998, when 15 Ohio charter schools served 2,245 students, the number of charter schools in the state has grown to 267. Thirty-nine of these schools enroll Columbus students. Columbus children attending charter schools In the past two years alone, charter school enrollment in Ohio has ballooned from 33,704 to more than 62,000. Columbus children who attend charter schools are moving into those schools faster than in any other urban school district but Toledo. Today, 5,800 Columbus children attend charter schools more than double the city s 2003 charter school enrollment and up from 1,000 in Other key findings about Columbus students attending charter schools: Greater shares of these students are enrolled in the 9th, 10th and 11th grades than in any other grades. The smallest share is in the 4th grade. They are more are likely to be black than to be white, Hispanic or from another ethnic background. Collectively, nearly 53 percent live in six Zip codes two each on the north, east and southeast sides of the city. One in four including nearly 35 percent of charter high school students are enrolled in online programs rather than brick-and-mortar schools. However, online charter school students are more likely to be white than black. They include a significantly smaller proportion of children with special education needs than among students attending the Columbus Public Schools. More than 1,600 students currently enrolled in Columbus Public Schools transferred from a charter school to CPS sometime in the last five years. Black students and 8th graders are the largest groups that have transferred. Implications for the future Under Ohio law, state education dollars follow students who transfer between traditional public schools and charter schools. Statewide, an estimated $424 million will be transferred to charter schools this school year. Columbus Schools estimates that transfers to charter schools will cost an estimated $40 million, or $7,000 per student, in the school year. Enrollment declines in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Akron public schools have led to proposed school closings there; if enrollment trends among Columbus students continue, the Columbus Public Schools could face similar challenges. Next steps Several important questions must be answered to understand the long-term implications of trends in charter school enrollment for school budgets, academic achievement and neighborhoods. For example, why do some parents choose charter schools? Why do some charter students return to traditional public schools? How are public school districts responding to declining enrollments? KidsOhio.org

3 By The Numbers: Comparison of Columbus Students Attending Charter Schools and Columbus Public Schools Charter Schools Columbus Public Schools Columbus students 5,801* 59,475** High school (9 12) 40.9% 26.4% Middle school (6 8) 19.2% 24.6% Elementary school (K 5) 39.9% 49.0% Male 49.5% 50.7% Female 50.5% 49.3% Brick-and-mortar schools Columbus students 75.6% 99.8% Black 81.4% 62.5% White 16.7% 30.5% Hispanic 0.8% 4.1% Other*** 1.1% 2.8% Online schools 8 1 Columbus students 24.4% 0.2% Black 45.5% 55.6% White 52.8% 40.7% Hispanic 0.8% 2.8% Other*** 0.9% 0.9% Students with special education needs 5.2% 14.0% * Grade level was coded UG (ungraded) for 112 (1.9%) of the 5,801 charter school students. These students were not included in grade-level percentage calculations. ** October 2004 headcount, excluding 746 preschoolers (59,475 K 12 students). *** Other includes Asian, American Indian, and Multiethnic children. Source: Columbus Public Schools. Calculations by KidsOhio.org. KidsOhio.org

4 Who Are the Columbus Students 1 Attending Charter Schools? A Special Analysis More than 62,000 Ohio students attend charter schools, including more than 5,800 children who reside in the Columbus Public School District. While the education community, the Ohio Legislature and the US Congress debate the merits of charter schools, many community leaders and parents are unaware that enrollment in charter schools has grown rapidly over the last several years, both statewide and in Columbus. Remarkably little is known about the youngsters whose families have chosen charter schools. Who Are the Columbus Students Attending Charter Schools? A Special Analysis provides a range of information about these students: their ages, genders, neighborhoods, race, grades and charter schools attended, as well as which students are enrolled in online charter schools, which attend brick-and-mortar charter schools, and how many have special education needs. This independent KidsOhio.org analysis addresses the following questions: What are charter schools? How are charter schools faring across Ohio? How are Ohio charter schools funded? Specifically about children living in the Columbus Public School District: Who are the Columbus students attending charter schools? Who attends online schools and brick-and-mortar schools? Where do Columbus students attending charter schools live? Which students transfer from charter schools to Columbus Public Schools? How many students have special education needs? The Columbus Public Schools and the Ohio Department of Education provided data to KidsOhio.org and responded to clarifying questions at every point during the writing of this report. We appreciate the commitment of these public entities to a better understanding of the issues that affect our students and our schools. KidsOhio.org staffers Ann Bischoff and David Norris devoted numerous hours over several weeks to research and edit the report. We hope this report is the first of many to contribute to the collective knowledge about children in Ohio schools, including the youngsters who attend charter schools as well as those who transfer from charter schools to traditional public schools. We hope, as well, that this report might serve as a template for similar analyses in other Ohio communities. For Ohio Kids, Mark Real KidsOhio.org 1

5 What are charter schools? 2 Charter schools are independently run, tuition-free public schools. The nation s first charter schools opened in 1991 in Minnesota. The concept of public education by contract with independent providers has now spread to nearly every state. As of January 2005, nearly one million students attended nearly 3,400 charter schools across the nation. 3 Ohio s charter school law was established in 1997, and the state s first fifteen charter schools opened during the school year to serve 2,245 students. Today, two hundred sixty-seven charter schools serve over 62,000 Ohio students, including 48 online charter schools that serve nearly 16,000 students. 4 Over 5,800 children living in the Columbus Public School District attended 39 charter schools in the first quarter of 2005, up from fewer than 1,000 students in According to Ohio law, charter schools must have sponsors that can guide them in setting up their structures and in monitoring their financial and educational progress. Fifty-three sponsors including traditional public school districts, county educational service centers, 5 the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Council of Community Schools sponsor Ohio s 267 charter schools. However, just three organizations sponsor 75 percent of all Ohio charter schools. The Lucas County Education Service Center sponsors 109 charter schools, making it the largest sponsor in Ohio; 14 of the charters it sponsors are in Franklin County. The Ohio Department of Education (69 charter schools, 10 in Franklin County) and The Ohio Council of Community Schools (24 charter schools, 6 in Franklin County) rank second and third, respectively. In addition, as of April 2005, 60 of Ohio s 267 charter schools (22 percent) were sponsored by school districts, including one in Akron, two in Canton, two in Cincinnati, one in Dayton and four in Toledo. A charter school s sponsor can operate the school itself or contract with a management company, such as White Hat Management, Leona Group or Mosaica Education. Management companies provide a variety of services, including financial reporting, curriculum development, staff training, grant research, policy development and marketing. 6 Ohio charters can originate in one of two ways: start-up or conversion. Of Ohio s 267 charter schools, 217 (81 percent) are start-up charter schools, which are new institutions sponsored by either a public school district or a private entity. When the state authorized charter schools in 1997, start-ups could only be located in Ohio s eight largest urban school districts; now start-ups can be located in any of Ohio s 21 urban districts or districts under academic emergency or academic watch (4 and 34 districts, respectively, for the school year). Start-up charter schools are subject to a state-mandated cap of 225 schools until June 30, A conversion charter school is a traditional public school that has been transformed into a charter school. Any public school, in any school district, can undergo this conversion. All 50 of Ohio s conversion charter schools are currently sponsored by a public school district, including ten in Central Ohio: three each in Fairfield and Licking Counties, two in Franklin County and one each in Madison and Union Counties. The number of conversion schools is not limited by the statewide cap. KidsOhio.org 2

6 Charter schools exist in one of two configurations: Brick-and-mortar schools have physical classroom space and are commonly established in such places as former churches, banks, schools and retail businesses. Online schools educate students via the Internet and reach across Ohio. Regardless of configuration, charter schools exist as independent units, but they can operate across several districts at once, attracting students from more than one area. Charter schools are subject to many of the same requirements as traditional public school districts. Like traditional public schools, charter schools in Ohio must: Give all state achievement tests. Screen kindergarten students in vision, speech and hearing. Accept and serve all students, including those with disabilities. Ensure that all teachers hold valid state licenses. 7 Help students pass the Ohio Graduation Test. Develop a five-year budget and submit it to the state. Undergo financial audits by the Auditor of State. Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools do not have to: Keep average student-to-teacher ratios at 25 to 1. Provide a state-mandated high school curriculum or require the same number of credits or classroom hours as traditional public schools. Provide buses or transport children. Instead, that responsibility remains with the traditional school district. Require that teachers teach in the academic area to which their teaching licenses apply. Charter school enrollment is growing in urban districts and statewide. The state s Big Eight urban districts Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown enroll 16.5 percent of the state s 1.8 million public school students. Slightly more than 38,500 or 61.4 percent of all Ohio charter students live in these districts. In Dayton, 26.1 percent of that district s 23,653 students enrolled in publicly funded schools 8 attend charter schools, the highest percentage in the state and, according to The New York Times, one of the highest in the nation. 9 Canton and Akron have the lowest percentages of charter school enrollment among the Big Eight; Columbus Public Schools, with the state s second-largest student enrollment, ranks sixth. KidsOhio.org 3

7 District Students Enrolled in Publicly Funded Schools in Ohio's Large Urban Districts, FY 2005 Charter Schools Enrollment Public Schools Charter + Public Schools % of District Enrolled in Charter Schools Dayton 6,182 17,471 23, % Youngstown 2,296 9,454 11, % Cincinnati 6,396 37,145 43, % Toledo 5,261 32,925 38, % Cleveland 9,756 64,965 74, % Columbus 5,418 58,957 64, % Akron 2,359 28,751 31, % Canton ,971 11, % All-Ohio Total 62,702* 1,748,153 1,808, % Sources: Ohio Department of Education, SF-3 Report, March 4, 2005, and *Ohio Office of Community Schools. Calculations by KidsOhio.org. Enrollment in charter schools increased statewide by 86 percent from 2003 to During this same period, the number of Columbus students enrolled in charter schools increased by nearly 111 percent, the second-highest rate in Ohio s Big Eight. 10 District Students Enrolled in Charter Schools in Ohio s Large Urban Districts, Fiscal Years 2003 to 2005 Total Charter School Enrollment FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 Increase 2003 to 2005 Toledo 2,470 4,224 5, % Columbus 2,569 3,684 5, % Canton % Cleveland 5,452 6,841 9, % Akron 1,540 1,949 2, % Cincinnati 4,205 5,595 6, % Youngstown 1,632 1,936 2, % Dayton 4,797 5,697 6, % All-Ohio Total 33,704* 45,880* 62,702* 86.0% Sources: Ohio Department of Education, March SF-3 Reports, and *Ohio Office of Community Schools. Calculations by KidsOhio.org. KidsOhio.org 4

8 Who are the Columbus students attending charter schools? In March 2005, Columbus Public Schools reported that 5,801 students or one of every 11 Columbus students receiving a publicly funded education were enrolled in charter schools, up from fewer than 1,000 students in These students were nearly equally divided between boys and girls. The three grades with the highest percentages of charter students were 10th (17.9%), 11th (16.2%) and 9th (10.3%); those with the lowest percentages of charter students were 4th (5.6%), 5th (5.7%) and 12th (6.4%). 11 Percentage of Columbus Students Who Attend Charter and Columbus Public Schools, by Grade Columbus Students Percentage of Columbus Students Grade* Charter Schools Columbus Public Schools Sum: Charter + CPS Enrolled in Charter Schools Enrolled in CPS Schools KG 472 5,068 5, % 91.5% ,010 5, % 91.7% ,822 5, % 92.0% ,679 5, % 93.1% ,660 4, % 94.4% ,930 5, % 94.3% ,932 5, % 93.1% ,886 5, % 93.3% ,786 5, % 92.7% ,882 6, % 89.7% ,709 4, % 82.1% ,368 4, % 83.8% ,743 2, % 93.6% IN % 100.0% PS % 99.9% UG % 0.0% Total 5,801 60,221 66, % 91.2% Abbreviations: KG, kindergarten (corresponds to grade code "00" in Columbus Public Schools records). IN, infant/toddler. PS, preschool. UG, ungraded (i.e., student not assigned to a specific grade level). Source: Columbus Public Schools, March 10, 2005 ad hoc report. Calculations by KidsOhio.org. KidsOhio.org 5

9 Students attending Columbus charter schools were more likely to be black and less likely to be white, Hispanic or other races than students in the Columbus Public School District. Of all Columbus charter students: 72.6 percent were black, compared with 62.5 percent of students attending traditional Columbus schools percent were white, compared with 30.6 percent of students attending traditional Columbus schools. 0.8 percent were Latino, compared with 4.0 percent of students attending traditional Columbus schools. 1.1 percent were other races (American Indian, Asian, and Multiracial), compared with 2.9 percent of students attending traditional Columbus schools. The race proportions of students also varied by grade level. Lower charter school grades had higher proportions of black students than the same grades in Columbus Public Schools. Charter kindergarten classes had the highest proportion of black students (96.0 percent), while the highest proportion of black students in Columbus Public Schools was in grades 9 and 10 (68.7 and 67.9 percent, respectively). Charter and Columbus Public Schools Students by Race and Grade, March % Charter Students 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 100% Grade Columbus Public Schools Students Black Hispanic White Other* 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Grade * Other includes Asian, American Indian, and Multiethnic children, averaging less than 2% of total charter students and less than 3% of total students in traditional public schools. Source: Columbus Public Schools, 3/10/2005 ad hoc report. Calculations by KidsOhio.org. KidsOhio.org 6

10 Columbus charter school students are more likely to live in the Northeast and East Southeast areas of the district. Children in the Columbus Public School District whose families choose charter schools live in nearly all of the city s neighborhoods. However, more charter students come from some areas of the city than from others. In particular, more families who select charter schools live in the Northeast and East Southeast areas of the district. Collectively, 52.6 percent of Columbus charter school students live in six Zip codes within the Columbus Public Schools broad attendance area: and on the city s Northeast Side; and on the East Side; and and on the Southeast side (Map 1, page 8). Four of these Zip codes 43229, 43224, and are also among the areas of the district with the most students enrolled in Columbus Public Schools. These students, along with students living in Zip codes on the South Side and on the West Side, comprise 50.5 percent of all students attending Columbus public schools (Map 2, page 8). Comparing the two Zip code maps suggests that while many Columbus charter students come from areas where the overall student population is high, not all do. More detail can be seen by mapping U.S. Census Block Groups 13 color-coded by the number of Columbus charter students who live there (Map 3, page 9). This map reflects the general patterns seen in the Zip code maps but also reveals two areas where charter students are particularly numerous. One concentration of charter school students can be seen in the Northeast part of the district, in an area bounded by Cleveland Avenue on the west, Morse Road on the north, I-270 on the east, and I-670 on the southeast and south. Another, smaller concentration of charter students in the Southeast part of the district live in an area bounded by US-33 on the west, East Main Street on the north, I- 270 on the east, and Refugee Road on the south. Together, these two areas are home to approximately 30 percent of all Columbus students enrolled in charter schools. For charter and traditional public schools, school quality and safety, school location, and curriculum choices, among other factors, play a part in the school choices that families make. Knowing where charter students live at the neighborhood level may provide further insight into some of the reasons behind family school choices. While some people do not realize that the Columbus Public School District extends beyond the I-270 outer belt, 322 Columbus students live outside the beltway and attend charter schools. In many cases, the nearest Columbus public school is miles away from their homes. City planners say these fast-growing outer belt neighborhoods are expected to attract an increasing number of families. 14 (Text continued on page 10) KidsOhio.org 7

11 Map 1: Top 6 Zip Codes by Number of Columbus Students Attending Charter Schools (March, 2005) tu (432) (675) (518) (435) (458) (532) % of all Columbus students attending charter schools live in these 6 Zip code areas. 71 Community school student data provided by The Columbus Public Schools. Mapping by KidsOhio.org ( Map 2: Top 6 Zip Codes by Number of Columbus Students Attending Columbus Public Schools (March, 2005) tu (5,090) (5,841) (5,127) (4,817) 50.5% of all students attending Columbus Public Schools live in these 6 Zip code areas (5,124) (4,428) 70 Community school student data provided by The Columbus Public Schools. Mapping by KidsOhio.org ( KidsOhio.org 8

12 70 71 N HIGH ST tu 315 SR 161 BETHEL RD MORSE RD CLEVELAND AVE 270 N BROADWAY RIVERSIDE DR E BROAD ST 670 E MAIN ST W BROAD ST 71 tu REFUGEE RD S HIGH ST HARRISBURG PKE Map 3: Charter students per block group (Average: 12) 1-6 Students (< -1 Std. Dev.) 7-17 Students (-1 to 1 Std. Dev.) Students (1 to 2 Std. Dev.) Students (> 2 Std. Dev.) Columbus Students Enrolled in Charter Schools, by Census Block Group (March, 2005) Community school student data provided by The Columbus Public Schools. Mapping by KidsOhio.org ( KidsOhio.org 9

13 Black students and 8th grade students are more likely to transfer from charter schools to Columbus Public Schools. Of the nearly 59, students enrolled in Columbus Public Schools in March 2005, 1,647 had transferred to Columbus Public Schools from a charter school sometime in the past five years; 658 of these students transferred during the current ( ) school year. Of the total who transferred from a charter, 79.4 percent were black a higher proportion of black students than in either the Columbus Public Schools or the charter schools serving Columbus students. Twelve percent of all transfer students had special education needs. Although the student records provided to us do not indicate directly the student s grade level at the time of transfer, they do note the school year when the student transferred. By knowing the year of transfer, one can infer the child's grade level at the time they transferred, assuming that no child repeated a grade since the time of transfer. For example, if the record for a student currently in the 5th grade indicated that the student transferred from a charter school to Columbus Public Schools during the school year (that is, two years prior to the current school year), we assumed that the student was in the 3rd grade at the time of transfer. Analyzing the records this way points to the 8th grade as especially significant for transfers from charter schools to Columbus Public Schools. 16 Grade When Currently Enrolled Columbus Public Schools Students Transferred from Charters Students KG Child's Grade Level at the Time of Transfer Source: Columbus Public Schools ad hoc report, March 10, Calculations by KidsOhio.org. KidsOhio.org 10

14 The student records provided for this report also do not record whether these transfer students had attended traditional Columbus schools before enrolling in a charter school, nor do we know the month in which each student transferred. This information would be useful to all educators to understand school mobility as it relates to charter schools. 17 The district applies to the state for monthly payments for students that were counted in the October headcount. During the school year, the additional amount of funding that came into Columbus schools with former charter school students was estimated to be as much as $2.3 million. 18 One in four Columbus students attending charter schools including nearly 35 percent of Columbus high school students attending charter schools enroll in online charter schools. Of the 5,801 Columbus students attending a charter school in March, 2005, more than 75 percent attended 31 brick-and-mortar schools. Ten of these schools enrolled more than half of Columbus students attending charter schools. 19 Reflecting the statewide average, the remaining one-fourth of these charter students were enrolled in online schools. More than 60 percent of these students were enrolled in just one of the eight online schools attended by Columbus students. While overall, 24.4 percent of Columbus students attending charter schools participated in online schools, the percentages varied by grade, from a low of 7.8 percent for kindergarten students to a high of 43.3 percent for 9th graders. In general, rates of online school participation were lower for the lower grades, increasing through middle and high school grades. First and 2nd grade charter students had online school participation rates of 10.1 and 10.7 percent, respectively, while nearly 42 percent of 12th grade charter students and 40 percent of 8th graders were enrolled in online schools. Nearly 8 percent of Columbus students enrolled in online charter schools have special education needs, while 4.4 percent of those attending brick-and-mortar charter schools do. % of Columbus Charter Students Enrolled in Online Schools, by Grade (March, 2005) 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 7.8% 25.4% 18.5% 10.1% 10.7% 12.2% 12.5% 40.0% 43.3% 41.9% 33.7% 27.4% 30.7% 24.4% KG Overall Grade Source: Columbus Public Schools ad hoc report, March 10, Calculations by KidsOhio.org. KidsOhio.org 11

15 Taken together, black and white students comprise 98 percent of the student population in both online and brick-and-mortar charter schools. However, the proportion of blacks and whites differs markedly in the two types of charters. Black students are 81.4 percent of the brick-and-mortar charter population but only 45.5 percent of the online charter population. By comparison, white students make up only 16.7 percent of the brick-andmortar charter population but 52.8 percent of the online charter population. Distribution of Students in Brick-and-Mortar and Online Charter Schools, by Race Type of Charter Race School Black Hispanic White Other* Total Brick-and-Mortar 81.4% 0.8% 16.7% 1.1% 100.0% Online 45.5% 0.8% 52.8% 0.9% 100.0% * Includes American Indian, Asian, and Multiracial children. Source: Columbus Public Schools March 10, 2005 ad hoc report. Calculations by KidsOhio.org. Charter schools enroll a smaller proportion of Columbus students with special education needs. Among the 5,801 Columbus students attending charter schools in March 2005, 304 students, 20 or 5.2 percent, were classified as having special education needs a much smaller proportion of students with special education needs than in the Columbus Public Schools' student body. District-wide, the proportion is approximately 14 percent, or roughly 8,400 of the district s 59,000 students. Both the Columbus Public Schools and charter schools are mandated to admit children with disabilities and to provide the services needed to educate them. The Columbus Public Schools serve a broad range of children with special needs, providing specialized programs and schools for hearing and visually impaired youngsters, orthopedically challenged children, and those with severe emotional problems, autism and traumatic brain injuries. By comparison, charter schools serve proportionately fewer Columbus special needs children. For example, Columbus Public Schools serve 186 children with autism, while only 10 Columbus children with this condition are enrolled in charters. Similarly, Columbus Public Schools serve 308 students with orthopedic impairments, while only two Columbus students with this condition are enrolled in charters. A charter school also can limit its services to selected populations in its charter agreement for example, exclusively serving children with speech impairments or autism. KidsOhio.org 12

16 Charter schools are eligible to receive the same amount of per-pupil special education funding as traditional schools. Both charter schools and traditional public schools point out that the cost of serving students with special needs often exceeds available state and federal funds. This perception is based, in part, on Ohio s cost-based reimbursement system, which is only funded at 90 percent of the computed amount. How are Ohio charter schools funded? Both traditional public schools and charters are eligible for the same minimum amount of aid per Columbus student. The Ohio Department of Education estimates that the state will provide about $424 million to charter schools statewide during the school year. 21 Whether a Columbus student attends a traditional Columbus public school or a charter school, the district or the charter school he attends receives the same minimum amount of per-pupil funding. 22 That aid follows each child when he transfers to a charter school from a traditional public school or vice versa. 23 Ohio lawmakers have set that minimum amount at $5,169 per pupil for the school year. While the state assures the same minimum amount for each student, the state provides 100 percent of the amount for charter schools but pays only a percentage for traditional public school students since these schools also receive local tax dollars. In Columbus Public Schools, nearly 60 percent of the minimum funding amount is provided through local property taxes, and 40 percent comes from the state budget. 24 In addition to the $5,169 minimum amount per pupil, the state provides $315 per pupil to school districts in Franklin County for the cost of doing business. The same $315 per pupil is provided to charter schools for students from Franklin County. Above this amount, public school districts and charter schools are eligible to receive state funds to serve disadvantaged students and students with special educational needs. 25 Charter schools and traditional public schools also are eligible for federal funds to provide programs for disadvantaged and special education students and for school breakfast and lunch programs. Because traditional public school districts raise additional monies through local property tax levies, Columbus Public Schools have more than the state minimum available. Transportation costs for charter students are also at issue. Traditional public school districts say that the cost of transporting charter school students is not fully covered by state reimbursement. Charter schools argue that since state law already requires public school districts to transport all students to public, private or charter schools, this is not an additional burden to public schools. Proponents of both charter schools and public schools in Ohio claim that inequities exist in the way the two types of schools are funded. The Ohio Revised Code 26 specifies that funding for charter schools should come from the state and not include local tax dollars. Traditional public school supporters argue that charter schools effectively receive local funds as part of the minimum per-pupil amount established by the state. Regardless of the source of the funding, there is general agreement that the funding of charter schools is having an impact on public school enrollments and budgets. KidsOhio.org 13

17 Enrollment losses have significant financial impacts on traditional public schools. The fact that state funding follows a child who transfers from one kind of school to the other results in significant financial consequences especially for traditional school districts. Between 2000 and 2005, Columbus Public Schools enrollment declined from 64,000 to 59,000 due in part to student transfers to charter schools. In April 2005, Columbus Public Schools estimated that nearly $40 million, or about $7,000 per student, will be transferred to charter schools to serve Columbus students attending charters during the school year. In response to declining enrollment, the district has proposed reductions in staffing and programs and the closing of an elementary school. Most other Ohio urban school districts face declining enrollments due to a combination of overall population loss and increasing numbers of students enrolling in charter schools. For example, the Cleveland Municipal School District is proposing to close 22 schools before the school year begins; 13 of these will be closed permanently. The Cincinnati School District enrollment has declined by 12,000 students in the past decade. The district plans to close seven schools over the summer of An Akron task force has recommended that Akron Public Schools close nine schools due to declining enrollment, some of which may close during the school year. Facility aid differs for charters and traditional public schools. Unlike Ohio public school districts, charter schools are not eligible to receive state and local tax revenue to upgrade their facilities. However, in 2002 the legislature set aside $10 million for the Ohio School Facilities Commission (OSFC) to guarantee up to 85 percent of a loan per charter school for remodeling or construction. Currently OSFC has provided $7.5 million to charter schools for loan guarantees; OSFC can only guarantee these loans until the original $10 million has been encumbered. Charter schools also are eligible to apply for up to $150,000 in federal startup funds over a three-year period and a state grant of up to $450,000. These programs were initiated because many charter schools could not afford to renovate or maintain their buildings and had to close. 27 KidsOhio.org 14

18 Important questions for future reports. This report has examined current trends in charter school enrollment both across Ohio and, specifically, in Columbus. Trends describe the what of an issue like charter school choice. A vital next step is to find out the why behind families decisions to send their children to charter schools or traditional public schools. Some questions for future study: How do families choose which school their children should attend? How does family income affect school choice? Why do some children transfer from charter schools to traditional public schools? Do transfers occur in one direction or the other at different rates and times during the school year? How do these transfers affect academic performance? What is the academic standing (for example, by grade point average) of students transferring to or from charter schools compared to students in the Columbus Public Schools? Why do many students choose to attend online schools? Why have greater proportions of 9th, 10th and 11th graders enrolled in charter schools compared to other grades? Which special education services are available at charter schools? How are charter schools and traditional public schools helping youngsters for whom English is a second language? How are public school districts responding to declining enrollments? Such research can guide Columbus Public Schools and its community partners in decisions regarding spending, program development and plans to refurbish, rebuild or close school buildings. It can also provide data about this important educational option to parents, charter school sponsors, community leaders and policymakers. KidsOhio.org 15

19 Endnotes 1 In this report, Columbus students are those who live within the Columbus Public School District. These children may or may not have attended a traditional Columbus public school prior to enrolling in a charter school. Ohio Department of Education records show that 21,328 students attend nonpublic schools in Franklin County. However, these records do not indicate how many of these students live in the Columbus Public Schools district. 2 We have adopted the term charter schools for this report. While the Ohio Revised Code uses the term community schools, these schools are known as charter schools in nearly every other state and in much of Ohio. 3 Center for Education Reform, In Ohio, new charter schools are permitted to open around the fifteenth of each month. Eighteen new Ohio charter schools opened on April 15, Enrollment data for these new schools will not become available until the new schools financial reports are released during the first week of May, county educational service centers offer administrative and program services to local school districts in Ohio. 6 A table listing Franklin County charter schools, which includes school sponsors, management firms and enrollment data, may be obtained from the KidsOhio.org website ( 7 According to the Ohio Department of Education, 45 percent of the 1,530 charter school teachers in Ohio have a long-term substitute license instead of a teacher license. Of the 99,925 teachers in K-12 public schools in 2004, 2.4 percent or 2,398 taught with a long-term substitute license. To earn a teaching license in Ohio, a person must be a college graduate with a major in the area in which she is teaching or in education. In addition, the person must pass the Praxis exam, a national test of content knowledge. A long-term substitute can hold a college degree in any subject and does not need to pass the Praxis test of content knowledge. To obtain a long-term substitute license, the following requirements must be met: Early childhood: baccalaureate degree and 12 hours of early childhood education. Middle and High School: baccalaureate degree and 20 hours in subject field. Vocational: no baccalaureate degree required; granted based on credentials. Intervention (special ed): baccalaureate degree and 12 hours in special education. 8 Publicly funded schools includes both traditional public schools and charter schools. This number does not include students attending nonpublic schools, which might receive small amounts of public funds. 9 Dillon, Sam. "Charter Schools Alter Map of Public Education in Dayton." The New York Times, March 27, This report uses enrollment data from two different points in time for the number of students living in the Columbus Public School District who attend charter schools. The 5,418 figure used for Columbus charter students in the table titled "Ohio's Large Urban School Districts: Students Enrolled in Charter Schools FY2005" is based on the Ohio Department of Education s SF-3 report from March 4, By using the March 4 statewide data from this common reporting form, we can provide an "apples to apples" comparison of Columbus charter enrollment to that of other Ohio urban school districts. School districts use the Education Management Information System (EMIS) to report their data to ODE. However, the financial reporting form lags behind the actual enrollment of students. KidsOhio.org

20 The Columbus Public Schools were able to provide us with their EMIS information directly for the 5,801 Columbus students enrolled in charter schools and those enrolled in Columbus Public schools on March 10, By including these students in this report, we are able to provide a more complete profile of the students enrolled in charter schools as well as those enrolled in Columbus Public Schools. The enrollment counts from both the SF-3 form and EMIS are snapshots of enrollment on a particular day, and from them we draw general conclusions about the population of charter students. As the difference between the Columbus enrollment totals from the SF-3 report and EMIS illustrate, the number of students enrolled in both public schools and charters may fluctuate from day to day. Students may transfer between charter schools and Columbus Public in both directions; students may opt for other educational choices, such as private schools or home schooling; or students may enter or leave the district in other ways (for example, moving). We do not have complete data on the degree to which this "churning" of students on any given day affects enrollment totals over the school year. However, the impact of a transfer on an individual student should not be forgotten in the debate over charter schools and the reasons families choose them. In addition to the SF-3 and EMIS reports discussed above, Columbus Public Schools also provided data from the October counts for the and school years. While the number of charter students increased by 47 percent from October 2003 to October 2004, the charter school student profile remained fairly constant in terms of grades enrolled, gender, and race. 11 Additional tables of demographic data comparing Columbus students in charter and Columbus public schools are available on the KidsOhio.org website ( 12 This number (66,022) does not include 21,328 parochial or private school students in Franklin County or the 647 Columbus students participating in home schooling. 13 In urban areas, Census Block Groups encompass from a few city blocks to several, depending on housing density, and they generally contain between 600 and 3,000 people. Their relatively small areas and consistent population sizes make Block Groups well-suited for analysis at the local neighborhood level. Using Block Groups also makes it possible to link the data on charter students with Census Bureau demographic data for a greater understanding of the families who choose charters. 14 Kubera, Rosemary. Task force calls for new K 8 school in northeast area. Suburban News Publications. September 1-8, Growth is anticipated in other quadrants of the city as well. 15 Preschool pupils are not included in this count. 16 The data upon which the bar chart in the text is based can be downloaded from the online version of the report on the KidsOhio.org website ( 17 The CPS Student Mobility Research Report, October 2003, by Community Research Partners, documented the following trends: Columbus Public Schools school year mobility rate (sum of moves in and out divided by beginning school enrollment) was 29.9% for students in grades 1 to 5. Columbus Public Schools 2002 summer movement rate (percent of a school population that changes schools during the summer) was about 25% for students in grades 1 to 4. Columbus Public Schools 2000 to 2002 two-year stability rate (percent of a cohort of students who remain in same school for two years) was 50%; meaning, 50% of CPS students in grades 1-3 were continuously enrolled in the same schools through the beginning of their third school year. KidsOhio.org

21 18 Estimated by multiplying 658 transfer students by $3,500 per student, assuming that each student spent an average of half the school year in Columbus Public Schools. 19 Ten Brick-and-Mortar Charter Schools Enroll More Than Half of All Columbus Charter Students (Total: 3,010 Students) Millennium Community School 620 W.C. Cupe Community School 233 Life Skills N. Col. 430 Columbus Arts & Tech Academy 206 Life Skills Se. Col. 408 Columbus Humanities, Arts & Tech 199 Horizon Science Academy (K-8) 329 Life Skills Southwestern 164 International Academy of Ohio 279 Horizon Science Academy (9-12) A detailed table listing charter schools and the number of special education students in each, is available on the KidsOhio.org website ( 21 Oplinger, Doug and Willard, Dennis J. "Budget clauses benefit charters, Ohio House bill meant to cap growth restricts public districts." The Akron Beacon Journal, April 23, Per-Pupil State Funds for Columbus Public School Students and Columbus Students Attending Charter Schools (Middle and High School Students) Funding Type Per Pupil Amount Basic Aid (a) $5,169 Cost of Doing Business $315 Supplemental Funding for Low Wealth Districts (b) $102 Funding for Safety, Security and Remediation (c) $230 Subtotal (d) $5,816 (a) In Franklin County, the state-determined minimum per-pupil funding is $5,169 plus $315 per pupil for cost of doing business. Columbus Public Schools pays for nearly 60 percent of the minimum per-pupil funding with local monies. The labor force average weekly wage data determines the cost of doing business factor for each county. (b) Supplemental funding for low wealth districts (Parity Aid) follows students to charter schools based upon the public school district's measure of wealth with the intent of equalizing funding among districts. (c) Schools are eligible for additional money to serve the state's poorest students. Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid (DPIA) Safety, Security, Remediation (SSR) serves Ohio Works First pupils (students whose families receive public assistance). (d) Subtotal of funds that all students receive. Additional funds, not received by all students, are explained below. Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid (DPIA) Class Size Reduction (CSR) provides about $1,000 per student in grades Kindergarten through 3rd only. DPIA All Day Kindergarten (ADK) provides $2,499 per Kindergarten student enrolled in all-day Kindergarten. Special and Career Tech education funds are based on weighted per-pupil formulas. For example, schools receive more money for a student with an orthopedic impairment than for a student who needs speech therapy. Special education weights are phased in at 90 KidsOhio.org

22 percent of computed amount. State aid for Career Tech and Adult Education is for high school only. Note: Districts raise additional monies through local property tax levies; therefore, Columbus Public Schools have more than the state minimum available. Sources: Ohio Department of Education, 2005, and Columbus Public Schools. 23 State funds designated for Columbus Public Schools are set according to the enrollment in October. New transfers into or out of the district do not change the allocation, except when the transfer is to or from a charter school; in these cases, the per-pupil funds follow the child, as long as the child was included in the October head count. 24 The state arrives at this division of funding through a calculation that considers how much a school district realizes from 23 mills of local property tax. That amount, also called the chargeoff, is different for every school district. It is subtracted from the basic aid, and the remainder is what the state contributes to reach the basic aid amount. 25 Funding based on poverty levels includes state Disadvantaged Pupil Impact Aid (DPIA) All-Day Kindergarten; DPIA Class-size Reduction; DPIA Safety, Security and Remediation; and state Supplemental Funding for Low-Wealth Districts, a category added by the Ohio Legislature to reduce gaps between rich and poor districts caused by disparities in their property tax revenues. 26 Ohio law regarding the funding of charter schools can be found in the Ohio Revised Code in divisions C and L of section (See onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com.) 27 One of the largest barriers to the community school initiative is acquiring suitable and affordable facilities. As many as 40 proposed schools did not open during the past two years because of facility concerns. For schools that did open, the majority described finding a facility as very difficult, with almost a third opening late, or starting the year in temporary space because of the need for renovations and difficulties in meeting building codes. Legislative Office of Education Oversight. Community Schools in Ohio: Final Report on Student Performance, Parent Satisfaction, and Accountability, pp. v viii. December KidsOhio.org

23 KidsOhio.org 22 East Gay Street Suite 600 Columbus, Ohio (614) (614) FAX On the Web: We encourage you to copy and distribute KidsOhio.org publications. Download copies of this report and other publications from our website.