Charter schools win battle for equal student funding

Charter school officials argued it was unfair for charter schools to receive less than public schools while public school leaders countered that charter schools should receive less because they do not use a district’s buildings or transportation, and have fewer special needs students.

Typically charter schools, which get public tax dollars, give parents and school employees more autonomy over day-to-day activities.

The ruling, which affects all four charter schools in Prince George’s County and the more than 30 statewide, has sent school officials scrambling to come up with funding before the Aug. 20 start of classes.

The state Court of Appeals ruling, issued Monday, means that Lincoln, with about 320 students, would receive $9,664 per student, almost double the $5,495 the county school system currently provides.

That would mark an overall increase of $1.3 million for Lincoln, which has students from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade.

‘‘We’re going to [adjust the budget] to the best of our ability,” School Board Chairman Owen Johnson Jr. said of funding for charter schools. ‘‘I think we have the ability within the school system to figure it out and move forward. I don’t see this as being an insurmountable situation.”

School officials are already working on a plan for future years in case about $17 million expected from a phone-tax increase is not approved by voters.

Paul Faber, regional director for Arlington, Va.-based Imagine Foundations, said the added money could help pay to lease the buildings used for charter schools and provide other services they were previously unable to afford.

Imagine Foundations operates Lincoln charter school and Imagine Foundations Public Charter School in Upper Marlboro, both opening this month.

‘‘The ability to be innovative and dynamic are important for all charter schools,” he said. ‘‘To me, this [court ruling] sets the tone.”

In addition to Lincoln and Imagine Foundations schools, EXCEL Academy in Beltsville and Turning Point Academy in Lanham operate in the county.

Fort Washington’s Potomac Charter School, which also opened last year, was closed after the school board stripped its charter in June. A school system audit showed financial missteps, including the absence of a school activity fund or a checking account for the collection student activities money.

E-mail Dennis Carter at dcarter@gazette.net.