“This year, according to DPS figures, around 1,800 Durham students attended charters. That’s about 5 percent of public school children in the county.

For DPS budget planners, this is more than an interesting phenomenon. Defections to charters, they say, are one reason the school system needs more than $6 million in new county money this year just to keep its programs and staffing at last year’s level.”

Why do you need to stay at last year’s level if you have fewer students than last year?