Flush with cash from the feds and previous tax hikes on the wealthy, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed boosting funding for Big Apple charter schools by 4.7 percent and extending Mayor Eric Adams’ authority to control the New York City public education system for the duration of his first term.
The boost will increase aid to charter schools to $17,633 per student, up from $16,844, according to the NYC Charter School Center. Two years ago, aid to charter schools was frozen.
The increase is below the overall increase of 7.1 percent for all K-12 schools, however.
“This will allow charter schools to continue to innovate, recruit high-quality teachers and staff, and provide strong educational options for New York’s families and students,” Hochul said in the briefing book outlining her mammoth $216 billion budget.
Hochul’s recommended four-year extension mayoral control of the schools is a gift to Adams. The law giving him such control is set to expire in June.
During former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s first-term as mayor, he received only a one or two-year extension from Albany to oversee the city school system, when antagonist Andrew Cuomo was governor and Republicans controlled one house of the legislature — the state Senate.
It wasn’t until 2019, when more friendly Democrats ruled the Senate, that lawmakers gave him a three-year extension of school control for the remainder of his second term.
Charter school advocates praised the increase in education aid, but said there is another pressing issue the governor and the legislature have failed to address — approving a law to lift the cap that has blocked charter school expansion in the city.
“We are pleased to see that Governor Hochul’s proposed budget recognizes the need to increase funding for K-12 education even as we continue to fight for truly equitable public funding for New York City’s public charter schools. New York City parents who are choosing charter schools deserve no less,” said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center.
“At the same time, we will continue our fight to lift the cap on charter schools, so that parents have the options they want. This is especially true given that more parents continue to seek charter schools even as overall public school enrollment has declined. It really is far past time to lift the cap. We look forward to working with our partners in Albany and New York City to do just that.”
There are about 180,000 students attending 331 charter schools in New York State. The overwhelming majority of students — 145,000 — attend 272 charter schools serving in New York City.
Charter schools receive tuition payments funded by the state and local school districts, based on the average growth in the district’s spending from the previous years combined.
“So, as district school spending goes up, so does charter school, per pupil, spending,” Mujica said.
But he admitted there is a “lag” in funding for charter schools because it’s based on an average over at least three prior years — a criticism charter school advocates say limits increases compared to traditional public schools.
“So there was a lag to last year’s spending. We saw the lag. We’ll be hearing that,” he said, referring to criticism from charter school advocates..
Mujica said there was no change in the charter school cap for New York City but added, “we welcome a discussion about that, with the mayor.”
In total, Hochul’s executive spending provides $31.3 billion in state aid for fiscal year 2023, a year-to-year increase of $2.1 billion or 7.1 percent, compared to the current budget, which expires on March 31.
