Q&A: Looking at logistics of charter schools

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A: They are a new breed of independent public schools, run by private organizations, but paid for with public tax dollars. (The Washington law says those organizations must be nonprofit, nonreligious groups.) They work under a five-year, renewable contract with a sponsor — a local school board or the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). They are freed from many regulations in exchange for more accountability for results. They can extend the school day, hold longer classes, hire their own staff, choose curriculum, etc.

Q: How would they be accountable?

A: They can't open at all unless students sign up, or if they leave. And they can be closed if they don't live up to the terms of their contract, or charter.

Q: What would the law allow?

A: • Up to 45 new charter schools could open over six years. In addition, public schools deemed as "needs improvement" by the state or federal government could convert.

• Applicants must first approach the school district where they'd like to open a school. If turned down, they can appeal to the state superintendent of public instruction, who also can grant a charter, and assign an educational service district as a sponsor.

• Charter schools must accept any student who applies. If there are more applicants than seats, an "equitable" process such as a lottery must be used. Students must take the Washington Assessment of Student Learning and the schools would be subject to the No Child Left Behind Act.

• Charters would be subject to an independent audit at least once every three years, and a sponsor would receive financial and academic reports at least once a year.

Q: How much would this all cost?

A: That depends on how many charter schools open, and whether they draw students from existing public schools. If 35 new charter schools open in the next five years, and eight schools convert to charter status, the Office of Financial Management estimates a $14 million increase in state spending (mostly due to home-school or private-school students enrolling in charter schools), and $117 million that would transfer from existing public schools to charters because the dollars follow the students.
 
Charter proponents, however, say the impact on existing schools would be modest, based on what's happened in other states. (A sponsor can keep up to 3 percent of a charter school's state and local funding to cover the costs of administering the charter.)

Q: How is this law different from the previous initiatives?

A: It is similar to the 2000 ballot measure, but would allow fewer new charter schools to open. The 2000 initiative would have allowed up to 80 new charter schools over four years. This measure also gives preference to charter schools with a mission to serve "educationally disadvantaged" students, such as low-income students, students learning English, etc.