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Albany Voters Say NO to Public School Payments to Charter Schools

ALBANY, NY (May 2005) In the 2005 City School District of Albany budget vote, Proposition #2 asked local voters if they support paying for charter schools out of the public school budget. By a margin of more than 4 to 1, Albany voters do not believe that public school districts and taxpayers should bear the burden of funding the charter school experiment.

The district and Board of Education believe the results of the straw poll send a clear message to New York State lawmakers--change the funding formula for charter schools.

The City School District of Albany is required by law to make payments to charter schools, regardless of the outcome of the proposition. Charter schools will siphon an estimated $10.2 million from the district's 2005-2006 budget, limiting the efforts of public schools to provide students with a wide range of academic programs.

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The City School District of Albany serves almost 9,400 students in 19 elementary, middle and high schools. The district includes several magnet schools and programs, as well as other innovative academic opportunities for students in addition to neighborhood schools. The district is more than halfway through its comprehensive facilities project to newly build and/or renovate nearly all of its elementary and middle schools. The ultimate goal of the facilities project is to provide schools with the resources necessary to help students succeed in the 21st Century.