Opinion

By Francis M. Redmon, Ph.D., KCSD Superintendent

Ever wonder how your local school district pays charter school tuition? It’s a complex system, but the important components are explained here.

A key piece of the puzzle is something called “average daily membership” (ADM). Think of it as a head count. Local schools get funding based on how many students live within their boundaries, even if those students attend charter schools. This is mandated by state law (Title 24 P.S. Education § 17-1725-A(a)5). As the Pennsylvania Department of Education puts it, ADM represents “all resident pupils…for whom the school district is financially responsible.”

To determine charter school tuition, every year, our district’s business office fills out a form (PDE-363) to calculate the cost per student to attend charter schools (both traditional and online). This form tries to separate what the district spends for all students and receives money for from the state (like transportation) from costs that both KCSD and charter schools receive funding for (like certain federal programs). It also takes into account students with special needs (students with IEPs) who require more resources. The form shows that tuition for a student with an IEP is roughly twice as much as a student who does not have an IEP.

Sounds reasonable so far, right? The district’s overall spending to educate students could be a good way to estimate the cost for a charter school to do the same. But here’s the catch: the district’s total spending includes the tuition it pays to charter schools! Last year, that was $11.1 million.

Think of it this way: we’re using a figure that has charter school costs baked in to calculate how much charter schools should get.

If we take out that $11.1 million, the picture changes dramatically. Suddenly, the amount the district spends per student drops significantly. We’re talking about a difference of almost $2,800 per student!

With around 540 local students attending charter schools, this overestimation adds up. Even keeping the extra funding for special needs students the same, we’re likely looking at a potential savings of around $1.5 million for our district.

This isn’t about being against charter schools. It’s about ensuring that our tax dollars are used efficiently and effectively to support all our students, whether they attend traditional public schools or charters. It’s about making sure the funding formula is fair and accurate. And it’s about making sure you, as a taxpayer, understand where your money is going.