DC charter schools

National Review Online reports:

A recent report released by the Walton Family Foundation shows that charter schools in Washington, D.C., received $16,361 per student in FY 2011, compared with $29,145 spent per student at traditional public schools. Those amounts include federal, state, and local tax dollars as well as support from private foundations.

Some have argued charter schools do better because they may attract some private funding. But it seems again the facts do not stack up.

So despite the much lower funding, how do they do?

The District’s charter schools, which serve 41 percent of the city’s public school students, posted higher overall scores on the 2012 D.C. Comprehensive Assessment System than their counterparts in the traditional schools system, but their gains in math were smaller. Their reading proficiency rates, meanwhile, fell slightly. . .

So better results for less money – no wonder Labour and Greens have vowed to abolish charter schools regardless of how successful they are.

The proficiency scores were:

• Maths – public schools 46%, charter schools 55%
• Reading – public schools 44%, charter schools 49%