WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, President Trump unveiled his FY2018 budget, which includes a $168 million increase for charter schools. National Alliance President and CEO Nina Rees released the following statement in response to the president’s announcement:
“Today, President Trump demonstrated that he is a strong supporter of charter public schools. The charter school movement is grateful for the presidents support, and we applaud his commitment to providing critically needed funding for the Charter Schools Program (CSP). This funding will allow more high-quality charter schools to open, expand, and replicate and will help finance facilities for charter schools so that more students have access to the great education they deserve.
“In the current school year, more than 200,000 new students are attending charter public schools, bringing nationwide enrollment to more than 3 million students. Still, there could be at least another 2 million students whose parents would enroll them in charter schools if they could. Increased funding for the CSP is essential to expanding charter school capacity and reducing the wait for these families.
“President Trump’s budget builds on a robust history of support for the charter school movement from every Administration since 1992, Republican and Democratic, helping to expand high-quality public education options for all children. We look forward to working with this Administration and Members of Congress to ensure that the CSP, and other programs that are effective in improving the lives of at-risk or high-needs students, are supported.”
About the National Alliance for Public Charter SchoolsThe National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is the leading national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the public charter school movement. Our mission is to lead public education to unprecedented levels of academic achievement by fostering a strong charter sector. For more information, please visit www.publiccharters.org.
