Key Findings

1. Washington lawmakers currently discriminate against charter school families by denying them access to local levy, start-up and capital funding.

2. Charter schools are widely popular, especially in underserved urban communities.

3. Traditional public schools have failed to close the achievement gap between black and Hispanic children and their white and Asian peers.

4. Charter schools offer families a chance to find a better public school for their children.

5. Washington’s charter schools provide better results for students, especially for minority and low-income students.

6. Currently more than 4,000 students attend 16 public charter schools, with two more charter schools set to open this fall.

7. SB 5442 and HB 1481 would provide up to $1,550 per charter school student to partly make up for the denial of local levy funding.

Introduction

In a bipartisan effort, Democrat and Republican lawmakers have introduced bills to equalize funding and expand public charter school opportunities for Washington’s students. These bills are SB 5442 and HB 1418, to reduce local funding discrimination against charter school families by providing charter schools with fairer funding levels.

SB 5442 would not end all funding discrimination against charter school families, but it would reduce funding inequities. The bill provides that charter schools could access state local effort assistance enrichment grants up to a maximum of $1,550 per student.

In 2012 voters passed Initiative 1240, making Washington the 42nd state to allow charter public schools. The election result gave Washington one of the best charter school laws in the country.

In 2016 the legislature confirmed the decision of the voters by passing a bipartisan bill to authorize for up to 40 new charter schools. Authorization was provided for five years.

Though a strong opponent of school choice, Governor Inslee allowed the bill to become law without his signature. In the years following 16 public charter schools have opened, serving about 4,000 students in communities around the state. Despite their popularity, however, state lawmakers allowed the legal authorization for new charter public schools to expire in 2021.

Read the full legislative memo here.