Charter school impact in Trenton fuels public discussion
TRENTON » One in five students in the City of Trenton attends a publicly funded charter school.
That is the reality Trenton Public Schools faces as the district tries to figure out what can be done to make Trenton Public Schools more attractive for parents who choose to send their kids elsewhere.
“We in Trenton are adamantly opposed to charter school expansion,” Trenton Superintendent Dr. Fred McDowell said Wednesday at a community meeting on the subject. “We are united in that statement.”
Trenton Public Schools receives revenue from local, state and federal sources, but the district has to increasingly spend more money on charter schools because city students are increasingly leaving the district in favor of a publicly funded charter.
McDowell said the district needs to look at “what is contributing to families voting with their feet” and abandoning the district for another option. “If there was not energy or demand for another choice,” McDowell said, “we wouldn’t be in this position.”
Officials from the Newark-based Education Law Center gave a presentation at Wednesday’s community meeting, detailing how former Republican Gov. Chris Christie shortchanged Trenton Public Schools. The former governor failed to fully implement New Jersey’s School Funding Reform Act of 2008, and current Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has committed to giving the capital city school district $11.5 million more in state aid this year while also promising his administration will conduct a “comprehensive review” of the state’s charter school law.
ELC Research Director Danielle Farrie and ELC Policy and Outreach Director Sharon Krengel gave a historical overview on the expansion of New Jersey charter schools in the 23 years since state lawmakers passed the Charter School Program Act of 1995. They talked about the fiscal impact that charter schools have on Trenton Public Schools, but their dataheavy presentation ended up igniting questions and comments from members of the public who said the focus should be on improving the district’s quality of education.
One woman asked whether ELC and Trenton Public Schools is “more concerned about the dollar” than delivering a constitutionally thorough and efficient education to the students.
“I completely hear you,” Farrie responded, “but I think the focus on the dollar is the only short hand I have to talk about the impact on the schools.”
“I only see educators or politicians in here,” the woman said. “You’ve gotta get the parents on board.”
Several members of Trenton City Council and Mercer County Freeholder Sam Frisby attended the community meeting.
“Every Trenton school failed the state test,” a man said in his public comments. “That’s why charter schools exist, because parents feel they are not getting the education they need in the public system. That’s why charter schools exist. They feel it will give them a better education.”
Local lawyer Gregory Johnson, the moderator of the discussion, said city officials “want this district to improve in all areas and keep students in the district,” adding, “I am sure we will be addressing that issue in the near future.”