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Following the Money:
The Hidden Cost of Charter Schools

Every Student Who Leaves Creates a Financial Crisis

Here's what charter advocates don't tell you: When a child transfers to a charter, the public school loses their entire per-pupil funding—but the costs don't disappear.
New Modern Curridulum

The Real Numbers in Your Community:

  • New York City: $18,340 lost per student
  • Hempstead: $24,505 lost per student
  • Buffalo: $13,966 lost per student

But your school still has to:

Heat the same buildings

Run the same buses

Maintain libraries and cafeterias

Provide special education services

These "stranded costs" force devastating cuts:

  • Philadelphia loses $5,600 for every student who leaves
  • Oakland lost $57.3 million in one year
  • Hempstead nearly closed an elementary school

These "stranded costs" force devastating cuts:

  • Philadelphia loses $5,600 for every student who leaves
  • Oakland lost $57.3 million in one year
  • Hempstead nearly closed an elementary school

While Public Schools Struggle, Charters Hoard Cash

While Public Schools Struggle, Charters Hoard Cash

FACT:

NY charter schools sit on $950 million in cash reserves while public schools scrape by with 4% reserve limits.

FACT:

Some charter executives earn nearly $1 million annually—4x more than public school superintendents.

SEE THE DATA IN YOUR DISTRICT