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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 12, 2013 11:19 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Mike Fleck |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Bill Revising Cyber Charter School Funding Formula |
| I plan to introduce a bill to eliminate the pension “double dip” for charter schools and to ensure that cyber charter schools are paid based on their actual costs, rather than on the budgeted costs of the school district. Under current law, school districts must include their employee retirement costs when calculating the per student payment to charter and cyber charter schools, regardless of the fact that the state reimburses charter and cyber charter schools for a minimum of 50% of their own retirement costs. As a result, taxpayers are paying twice for the same thing. Additionally, current law requires school districts to pay cyber charter schools a per student amount that is based solely on the sending school district’s budgeted costs for the prior year. This formula does not take into account the fact that the actual education costs of a cyber charter school are often much lower than the school district. My legislation will amend the Public School Code to eliminate the pension double dip by allowing school districts to subtract this expense from their charter school calculation, ensuring that taxpayers are not paying twice for charter school retirement costs. School districts will also be able to deduct the costs to operate a district cyber or online program, as well as the costs of additional items not relevant to cyber charter schools, such as tax collection costs. My legislation will also require cyber charter schools to conduct an annual year-end audit of their actual education costs, pursuant to Department of Education regulations, and to complete an annual reconciliation of payments made by the sending school districts for regular and special education students. Focusing on identifying and paying for the actual educational costs of cyber charter schools will alleviate the financial burden on school districts and taxpayers. These proposed revisions to the cyber charter school funding formula are common sense changes that will save taxpayers millions of dollars each year. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation. If you have any questions regarding same please contact Kelly Roth in my office at via email at kroth@pahousegop.com or by calling 787-3335. |
Introduced as HB979