Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (IN) - Opinion: Virtual schools need equitable funding

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (IN)
Opinion: Virtual schools need equitable funding
By Ron Brumbarger

March 26, 2007

I applaud The Journal Gazette’s view that Hoosier families should have access to more public education options such as charter schools, and that these schools should continue to receive fair and equitable funding. However, I would like to address some of the newspaper’s concerns regarding the state’s two new public virtual charter schools.

Regarding funding, it’s important to know that high-quality, full-time public virtual schools have significant operating costs. In fact, the most recent independent report on funding for virtual schools, prepared by Augenblick, Palaich & Associates on behalf of the BellSouth Foundation, concluded, “A common argument heard from policymakers and others is that virtual schools are less expensive than regular public schools, and as such, should be funded differently. Based on the data it appears that the costs of operating a virtual school are about the same as those of a regular brick-and-mortar school. The main benefits provided by virtual schools are that they increase access to quality courses and educational opportunities, making it possible for all students to receive high quality courses of instruction better personalized to their needs.”

The report found that costs for virtual schools range from about $7,200 to about $8,300 per FTE (full-time equivalent), and added, “full-time programs can be more expensive than those serving students on a supplemental basis because these schools are typically responsible for special needs students and for adhering to state and federal accountability requirements including granting credits, testing students, making AYP (adequate yearly progress), etc.”

Both of Indiana’s full-time public virtual charter schools would receive significantly less funding than the report suggested is needed.

A second concern the newspaper raised was the issue of “public financing of home-school students.” Once a child enrolls in one of the two public virtual schools, the child is a public school student; they are no longer private home-schoolers. The student will be held to the exact same academic and attendance requirements as any other public school student. They must participate in state tests and will be accountable to their teacher and the school.

Furthermore, the majority of students who will enroll are currently public school students. The Indiana Virtual Charter School’s partner, K12, is the nation’s largest provider of curriculum to public virtual charter schools serving more than 25,000 students. The majority of these students came from public schools; less than 15 percent of the students were former home-schooled students. Plus, only 2,200 students across all of Indiana will be eligible to percent enroll in the two public virtual schools this fall. That amounts to 0.2 of the total public student body in Indiana.

But all of this is secondary to the most important issue: providing an excellent education for kids who need this option the most. We know some kids need public virtual schools, especially those who need a more individualized program and who are better able to learn outside the traditional classroom (whether because of negative peer pressure, bullying, medical needs or academic challenges, gifted and talented, etc.).

Providing parents and students the school options they need only strengthens our public education system and helps kids succeed. It is why I volunteered to lead the Indiana Virtual Charter School’s governing board, and why so many Hoosier students are excited and already enrolling.

Ron Brumbarger is chairman of the Indiana Virtual Charter School Board of Trustees. He wrote this for The Journal Gazette.