New School Transparency Tool Can Spur Accountability in Education, says State Lawmaker

State Rep. Robert F. Hagan (D-Youngstown) highlighted recent findings that show significant funding educational quality gaps between Youngstown City Schools (YCS) and area charter schools. These findings were compiled for the first time in a new website—KnowYourCharter.com. The site compares metrics from public schools and traditional charter schools using detailed state reports.

“As the state spends more and more taxpayer dollars on charter schools, it’s clear that the ‘experiment’ of funding charters is now routine and warrants further public and government scrutiny,” said Rep. Hagan. “This is a powerful accountability and transparency tool for parents and state’s education leaders.”  

During the 2012-2013 school year, over $22 million in local tax dollars were siphoned from city schools and redirected to charter schools. Thirteen of those nineteen charter schools graded by the state received a “D” or “F” on their state report card. YCS is rated a “D.”

At least six of the schools received over $10,000 in state funding per pupil. YCS’s state share per pupil is roughly $8,200.

“It is really startling to see how some of the worst performing schools are receiving more money from the state than our public schools. I think it’s clear from these numbers that we need to refocus back on improving our children’s public schools,” added Rep. Hagan.

KnowYourCharter.com was created by the Ohio Education Association and progressive think tank Innovation Ohio in an effort to increase financial transparency and accountability. Data used on the website is taken from the Ohio Department of Education and compares academic performance among traditional public schools and charter schools.