School Choice & Charters

How President Trump’s Budget Could Hurt Charters and Private Schools

By Lesli A. Maxwell — March 27, 2017 1 min read
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Despite the Trump administration’s strong preference for more school choice, it’s possible that both charter schools and private schools could take a hit in the president’s proposed spending plan for K-12 education.

Even with his pitch to spend $1.4 billion on school choice, including an infusion of new spending on charters and an as yet undefined private school choice program, President Trump’s so-called “skinny budget” would not spare charters and private schools from cuts to major K-12 programs in ways that are similar to traditional public schools.

The two areas most likely to sting: Trump’s proposed elimination of the $2.3 billion Title II program—which provides money for teacher training and principal professional development—and his bid to get rid of $1.1 billion funding for after-school and enrichment programs.

Alyson Klein reports at Politics K-12 that getting rid of Title II would hit some charters hard. Some of that money also makes its way to private schools.

At Eagle Academy, a District of Columbia charter school where more than $80,000 a year in Title II funding is used to train teachers to use technology effectively in their classrooms and to teach social-emotional learning, the loss would not be inconsequential.

As the school’s chief financial officer told Alyson:

“If this was taken away from us, that would hurt,” said Joe Smith, the school’s chief financial officer. And he doesn’t think the new funding for charters would necessarily make up for it. “I don’t know what the new money is for. But I know what Title II is for. It’s for any school that serves poor children, to help their students.”

For a detailed explanation of how the president’s budget could harm charter schools and private schools, read the story at Politics K-12.

Photo: President Donald Trump listens as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos speaks during a meeting with parents and teachers on Feb. 14 at the White House. --Evan Vucci/AP

A version of this news article first appeared in the Charters & Choice blog.