Utah’s charter schools have struggled for resources since they were first authorized in 1998, but a new study by Utah Foundation shows they’ve been able to receive more public funding in recent years.
Charter schools have not been able to access property tax revenues directly, and various funding formulas have left a gap of as much as 14% between the resources provided to charters as compared to district schools. That has been closing in recent years, in part because state lawmakers have focused on providing additional resources. But there’s still a difference in state funding of almost 10%.
Beyond the dollar differences in state funding, this study looks at the equitability of funding levels. Ultimately, the study determines that charter schools and district schools operate within two uncomparable systems, with different purposes and types of accountability. Accordingly, it would be difficult to ever definitively conclude whether they are equitable.
Charter schools are the fastest-growing component of Utah’s public education system. There were 117 charter schools in the state as of October, 2015, serving 67,509 students. That represents about ten percent of Utah’s total public school enrollment.
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