Money Skews Everything

It’s no surprise that money lies at the heart of the battle between charter schools and their public-school counterparts. By law, charter schools receive only a percentage of the per-pupil funding that other public schools in their districts get, with the percentage varying by state. In most states they also do not get funding to build or improve facilities, and they may not be entitled to state adjustment aid for schools in lower-income districts.

While many charter schools struggle to get by with too little money, a few manage to excel. And others, like the virtual charter schools in Pennsylvania, actually have too much money, if that’s possible.

Private money makes up for the deficit in government funding — sometimes in spades. In places like Newark, N.J., viewed by many as prime territory for charter development, millions have poured in from private donors and the big philanthropies — the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Broad Foundation and the Oprah Winfrey Foundation. And with that comes inevitable questions about the source of funds, resulting conflicts of interest, favoritism and control.

We’ll be looking at who’s giving the money, who’s controlling the money and who’s benefiting. How do schools thrive with, and without, money? Does more money mean better schools, or does more money bring more problems?