[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by Aces4

It all looks so pretty on paper, doesn’t it? More flexibility means more control and accountability for the student, which has been removed in public schools. Problem or high maintenance students are screened out of the “mainstream” pupil population in charter schools.

To top it off, private schools are primarily parochial which steers many parents away from registering their children.

Do I believe charter schools should be funded by the public? Yes, I do but only at 50% of the funding for public schools or allow public schools the same control advantages by which the private schools operate.

For the record, one of our three children, the youngest, was educated in a private, parochial school. Night and day difference in quality of education due to the discipline that was implemented there. We wished we would have sent all three of children to that private school.

But what is extremely obvious to us now is the fact there where no children with learning or behavior issues present.

Public schools deal with all students and need more financial support than private schools. Another solution if the private schools want equal funding, is to divide the challenged students between public and private schools.

Charter schools are NOT private schools. Charter schools are public schools receiving public funding and enrolling the general public. Charter schools should receive the same public funding per child that any public school receives. Based on the Sumter County Schools budget, that appears to be the case here.