Good for Duquesne

School district challenges charters for kids

For every child who walks away from his own school district, dollar bills follow.

Pennsylvania’s system for funding public education boils down to the concept that the money follows the student.

That’s why school districts must work hard to strut their stuff — to actually compete for the enrollment of their own students within their own districts.

A group of educators from Duqu es ne City School District has taken the battle to the streets with a “Bring Your Kids Home” campaign. Launched a year ago, it has proven impactful and is being copied in concept, from Pittsburgh to Erie.

The Duquesne team went to the homes of students who live within the district but who attend charter schools. Brick- and- mortar or cyber, charter schools are privately run but publicly funded schools that compete with the public school system for students and the state- funded “tuition” they bring.

The Bring Your Kids Home team has a mission: to convince students and their families to leave their charter schools and to return to their neighborhood public schools.

There is debate over the value of charter schools: Do they spark healthy competition with the public school system or do they siphon limited resources away from that system. The answer is yes and yes.

And like them or not, charter schools are a force with which to reckon.

For Duquesne, the reckoning started last summer with the initiation of the Bring Your Kids Home campaign. Since then, 18 students have returned to the district from charter schools. Those students brought about $ 340,000 in lost “tuition” payments back to Duquesne with them. In the 2017- 18 school year, Duquesne spent about $ 3.4 million on tuition for students attending charter schools. That’s about $ 13,700 for each student enrolled in regular ed- ucation versus about $ 32,800 for each special- education student.

The campaign has multiple benefits. Not only does it recapture state funding, the process shines a flattering light on the district’s undeniable pluses: a new computer coding curriculum, “maker” spaces that allow budding craftsmen and tradesmen to develop their skills, and technology access for every student. That boosts the district’s self- esteem. It has had its struggles. Students in seventh through 12th grades attend West Mifflin and East Allegheny school districts as part of a financial plan, begun in 2013, that’s overseen by the state. That leaves the district with nearly 400 students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Reminding residents — and staff — of the district’s unique assets is a good thing for everyone.

Charter- bleed impacts every school district across Pennsylvania. Since Pennsylvania passed its charter school law in 1997, more than 150 charter schools have been established and more than 135,000 students enrolled ( including students who attend cyber charter schools that operate online).

Now more than ever, it’s time for public schools to market themselves. From teachers to administrators, parents and students, those with good things to say about their home school districts should speak out and reach out.