The House Democrats and their “progressive” leader, Joe Hackney, plan to add a provision to the budget that would allow school systems to withhold certain categories of funds from charter schools.
Background
In Sugar Creek Charter School et al. v. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, plaintiffs alleged that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools withheld funds that the district was obliged to allocate to charter schools in their jurisdiction.
The three-judge North Carolina Court of Appeals panel ruled that the school system unlawfully withheld reserve fund balances, Hurricane Katrina relief funds, sales tax reimbursements, preschool programs, donations for specific programs, and capital reimbursements totaling $1.3 million.
Shortly after the unanimous appeals court ruling, brazen officials representing the state?s Department of Public Instruction and Local Government Commission recommended that school districts use an accounting procedure to keep fund balances away from charter schools.
Saturday Surprise
Behind the scenes, the Democratic leadership of the General Assembly is trying to find ways to guarantee their special interest friends (NCAE, NC PTA, etc.) that charter schools will not have access to the categories of district funds mentioned above.
Charter Schools in Hackney’s Backyard
Chatham Charter School (Chatham County)
Woods Charter School (Chatham County)
Academy of Moore County (Moore County)
Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance (Moore County)
Orange Charter School (Orange County)
Pace Academy (Orange County)
