NYSUT: Aid hikes erased by charter school bills

Hochul proposal would allow for an additional 100 to be built

ALBANY — The New York State United Teachers union says it is fighting the state’s new plan to allow more than 100 new charter schools because some school districts — including Albany and Troy — are paying so much to charters that it’s more than their entire increase in foundation aid over the last six years.

The group is organizing a fight against Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to allow more charter schools throughout the state. The proposal would allow more than 100 new schools, with no geographic limits. NYSUT has long fought against charter schools.

In Troy, foundation aid has increased almost $11 million from where it was six years ago. But charter school costs are estimated to be $12.5 million this fall.

Albany’s foundation aid has increased $32 million, but the charter school bill for this fall is estimated to be $38.7 million, NYSUT said.

“We get what we need from the state, they finally come through with foundation aid, and it goes out the back door to the charters,” said NYSUT President Andy Pallotta at a Zoom news conference Thursday. “This is the main problem with this (proposal).”

NYSUT’S membership is largely public school teachers. However, it has started unionizing teachers at charter schools, while also opposing the increase and lobbying for changes in how the schools are funded. Currently, school districts pay based on the number of their students who transfer to the charter.

Allowing more charter schools to open would largely mean an increase in New York City, NYSUT officials said.

NYSUT hired Hart Research Associates, which conducted a poll of 801 registered voters. Of those polled, 6 percent had a child at a charter school. In total, 24 percent had a child in a K-12 school.

Residents interviewed for the poll did not all view their public schools as doing a great job — 30 percent said their local schools were doing a “not-so-good” or “poor” job. But the vast majority said that they wanted strong local public schools. More charter schools were not a priority in making that happen, according to the poll results.

“They see a lot of priorities for improving education in New York state,” said Geoff Garin, president of Hart Research Associates, who spoke at NYSUT’S press conference. “Expanding charter schools is simply not one of them.”

Top priorities were expanding career and tech programs (92 percent called that a high priority) and expanding literacy and reading programs (82 percent said that should be very high priority). Filling vacancies among school employees, reducing class sizes and school safety also received high support.

On the question of expanding charter schools, 20 percent said that should be a very high priority. Only 7 percent said it should be the top priority.

“Substantively I think voters are making a clear statement here as to what the priority ought to be,” he said, adding that legislators were “picking a fight very few voters in New York care about.”