Arizona gets nearly $40 million for new and expanded charter schools

Up to $300,000 will be available to nonprofit organizations hoping to set up a new school as an alternative to traditional public schools. Funds will also be available to existing charter schools to expand operations.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, whose department is administering the grant, figures the grant money is enough to establish 24 new charter schools and expand another 23 — enough, he says, to serve about 10,000 students.

The idea is not to permanently subsidize these schools but instead to get them on their feet, said Mark Francis, who works with the Arizona Department of Education on charter issues. He said that includes everything from hiring specialists to plan the programs, to buying chairs and desks.

But once operating, the schools are expected to be self-supporting with the aid they get from the state, he said.

Charters, which are technically public schools in Arizona, get an average of $9,313 per student in state funds, according to the department. That compares with $8,086 per student for traditional public schools.

The state does not fund transportation expenditures for charter schools. But it does provide some additional dollars to charter schools because, unlike traditional public schools, they cannot raise local taxes.

In both cases, the schools may not charge tuition.

Not just anyone who hopes to open a charter school is eligible, Francis said. Applicants are screened for their qualifications to operate a school.

Additionally, he said the conditions of the funding — set by the federal government — require that the school be designed to serve “educationally disadvantaged” communities. This means that 30% of students come from homes that qualify for free or reduced-price meals or that 30% are from minority communities, Francis said.

Schools designed to serve children with special needs, such as those with autism or a disability, also would qualify.

That means the funds are open to many different geographic areas of the state, Francis said.

Francis said applications are available now for those wishing to apply for a grant. He said the process is designed so that, if approved, a new or expanded school could be open by this coming August.

The additional money to open more charter schools comes as many traditional schools are struggling with declining enrollment. Some districts are being forced to shutter schools.

Horne, however, said he does not see the expansion of the charter school system — there are more than 600 in Arizona — as the cause of those changes.

“The charter schools in Arizona go back to the 1990s,” he said.

Horne, a Republican who said he championed charter schools when he was a state legislator, said they serve a legitimate purpose.

“Even a good district school may not necessarily meet the needs of all the students,” he said. “And so the parents should have the ability to find a school that does meet those needs.”

And, just like in traditional schools, any student can apply, with charter operators unable to set admission requirements.

But traditional schools cannot turn away students who live within their district. Charter operators can limit admissions, using a lottery system to determine who gets in.

A person does not need to be a certified teacher to work in a charter school, though the law bars a charter school from hiring someone whose teaching certificate has been surrendered or revoked.