Today, RFA releases our first episode of PACER TV, with a video to explain the current system of Special Education Funding in Pennsylvania Charter Schools. David Lapp, RFA’s Director of Policy Research, created a model to demonstrate how charter school tuition rates for special education are skewed in many Pennsylvania communities by the following “Triple-Whammy” of problems:
- A false assumption in current law miscounts the number of students used to determine per pupil tuition rates, which often inflates the amount of tuition charter schools receive.
- Students with high-cost special education needs are often under enrolled in charter schools, which drives up per pupil costs in districts.
- Overpayments from #1 and #2 are baked into the calculation and compound into future years, further inflating charter tuition over time.
This topic has received a lot of attention from policymakers, but there is still much confusion about how the current system works. This video from PACER is intended clear up that confusion.
