Sharon Herald, Editorial, March 25, 2022

WHEN a public school student transfers to one of the state’s 179 registered charter schools, the student’s family does not have to pay tuition. But that doesn’t mean it’s free. Charter schools receive funding from public school districts where their students’ families reside, with amounts determined through a formula that accounts for per-student spending. The state Department of Education estimates that it will transfer $3 billion from public schools to charter schools in the 2021-22 school year. Under current regulations, charter schools are in an advantageous position — they are private entities funded with public money. “It’s a hugely profitable enterprise that individuals are making off public tax revenues,” said Hermitage School District superintendent Dr. Dan Bell. Hermitage, like many public school districts, runs its own cyber charter school at what Bell estimates to be $3,000 to $4,000 per student. But if a student living in Hermitage School District opts to go to a cyber charter school, the district pays $11,223.46 in tuition costs.

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