With new data showing what we already know—that parents want more charter schools, not fewer, and that the education voter may be the new swing voter—it’s more apparent than ever that charter schools are in-demand and here to stay. We need to continue the fight for high-quality public schools for all students and make it clear we won’t stand for less, especially at the federal level where decisions are being made.
What happened?
The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations went after the Charter Schools Program (CSP) yet again with a $40M cut to the only source of dedicated federal funding for charter schools. This cut would hurt our schools and our kids, those they claim they want to protect.
Why was the Charter Schools Program funding cut?
The proposed cut to the CSP is yet another attack on charter schools, following many backdoor attempts to stop parents from accessing charter schools that work for their kids.
Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives tried the very same thing—with the addition of incredibly harmful language that would have gutted the ability of all charter schools to run their schools. The Senate, on the other hand, restored the cut funding and kept funding for the CSP level at $440 million.
Now they’re at it again from another angle—another cut in funding.
So, where do we go from here?
Luckily for students everywhere, there’s still time for the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to restore the proposed funding cut in the final bill—and even grow the funding to $500M.
Level funding for the fourth year in a row isn’t enough. We need additional funding to keep the CSP operating and able to support charter school growth in the communities that want them. Last year due to funding constraints, the U.S. Department of Education didn’t award any grants for new charter schools to grow. The opposite of what the CSP is built to do.
To ensure that students get the funding they deserve, we need to tell our Senators to protect and grow this funding. Make sure they know we won’t stand for it and Congress should listen to what parents are clearly telling them.
Take action today and demand your Senators protect charter schools and our students!
Take one minute to send a letter to your Senator about the CSP!
Melinda Tolliver is the director of digital strategy at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
