Sacramento New Technology High School has amassed a $650,000 deficit, triggering a recommendation to district trustees to deny charter renewal at the governing board’s Thursday night meeting.
The staff of the Sacramento City Unified School District cited the charter school’s fiscal insolvency and its inability to achieve sufficient gains in academic performance as the basis for recommending denial. The school this year has just 187 students, the smallest enrollment in its 14-year history.
The school opened in fall 2003 as one of several new charters funded in part by Carnegie and Gates Foundation grants. Its mission was to provide personal attention and innovative education approaches to a student body that could number 500.
Education, politics, and anything else that catches my attention.
Thursday, April 06, 2017
Shut Down A Charter School?
This school clearly isn't fulfilling a need (so few students) and can't run on a budget. Close it down? I support this. Imagine if we could shut down public schools that did the same things!
I agree. I support charter schools providing alternative approaches and emphasis based on the needs of the child (performing arts schools, STEM focused school, advanced learners, etc), but there does need to be basic oversight to make sure the finances and planning are in order at least so no one is taking the money and running. The trick is finding the line that doesn't over-regulate or overburden, but I'm not sure where that line exactly would be.
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