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Charter School Advocates Request Second Look on Building Costs After Study Released

photo of Chad Aldis
ANDY CHOW
/
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU
Chad Aldis (pictured), with pro-charter school group the Fordham Insitute, says that charter schools face a "tougher battle" compared to public schools.

Charter school advocates are calling on state lawmakers to take a second look at how much those schools pay for the buildings they occupy. This comes after a study broke down the costs of owning and operating school buildings. 

Charter schools are paying an average of $785 per student to fund their school buildings.

That’s according to a comprehensive facilities study from the National Charter School Resource Center.

Chad Aldis is with the pro-charter school group the Fordham Institute. He says when it comes to school buildings, charters face a tougher battle compared to traditional public schools with established facilities.

“If you see a school that’s in a former storefront that looks more like a strip mall than a school -- even though the education provided could be outstanding -- it’s harder for parents to make that decision to enroll in that school,” Aldis said.

The study found that 49% of charters would be interested in co-location, where they share a building with a traditional public school.

Andy Chow is a general assignment state government reporter who focuses on environmental, energy, agriculture, and education-related issues. He started his journalism career as an associate producer with ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus before becoming a producer with WBNS 10TV.