Some parents are worried about the future of their children’s education because of the possibility of charter schools in Maryland shutting down due to state funding cuts.
One parent named Jennifer Epps said her son is thriving at the Chesapeake Math and IT charter school (CMIT) in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. But now, she’s worried that her son’s school could be shut down.
“What are our alternatives?” Epps asked. “If charter schools close, there are public schools. Where will we send our kids?”
Epps and other charter school parents filled up a state board of education meeting Tuesday night where changes in funding rules were being considered.
The board would increase administrative fees for charter schools and have charters pay more for special education. Some charter school operators say the changes will result in a roughly $1,000 cut per student.
“If this regulation passes and implemented as is, it would shut down most charter schools in the state of Maryland,” Yilmaz Zayn Ak, the CEO of Chesapeake Lighthouse Foundation, said. “It is cutting our funding to unreasonable levels.”
The board did approve new regulations but with several amendments. State education leaders say funding for charter schools is supposed to be at “commensurate levels” with public schools, but there is no clear definition of what that mean and it’s led to disagreements and legal challenges.
The state says the rules are a way to provide fairness and transparency.
Joshua Michael, the board’s president, said the ongoing discussion has instilled conflict, weakened trust and diverted attention away from students.
In Maryland, charter schools are funded with state and local tax dollars. Students are selected based on a lottery system and teachers and other staff work for the public school system.
Charter school advocates say some of the amendments will soften the blow but will still harm the future of charters in the state.
“It’s not an immediate death sentence but still not sustainable with what they have done today,” Ak said.
The board’s vote is not final and parents still have time to weigh in their opinions. Many parents are trying to make sense of what the decision means for them and their children’s future.
“My wife and I have kids in the second grade so by the time they get to fourth, fifth grade, are we going to have to worry about the schools closing?” Herbert Ruffin Jr, a parent, asked.
There are now eight charter schools in Prince George’s County after Excel Academy in Fort Washington closed its doors just before the start of the school year due to enrollment and financial reasons.
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