by Steve Dyer, Innovation Ohio Education Policy Fellow

Charter Schools have been described as publicly-funded, privately-run Ohio schools. Some are designed for special needs or so-called dropout recovery students. There are several online Charter Schools as well.

Governance

Ohio Charter Schools, which are uniquely called “Community Schools” under Ohio law, have appointed school boards and are overseen by “sponsors”, who are authorized by the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). It is the mostly-private sponsors, not ODE, that have direct responsibility for overseeing charter school performance. Failing charter schools can be closed under Ohio law. However, only 24 of the 177 charter schools that have closed since the program began in 1999 were closed under the closure law.

Ohio is one of two states that allow non-profit corporations to sponsor charter schools. Public school districts, universities and education service centers can also sponsor them. Charter school boards often contract with an “operator” to run their school. Operators, which under Ohio law can be for-profit or non-profit outfits, receive as much as 97% of the public money sent to the charter school. Ohio law shields from public view how these privately-run operators spend the public’s money. KnowYourCharter.com is the first site that allows the public to see who sponsors and operates a particular charter school, and whether it is being run by a non-profit or for-profit entity.

Funding

The money that largely funds Ohio’s charter schools is deducted from state aid to local public school districts. Charter schools also receive federal money, which accounts, on average, for about 10% of their overall budget. Charter schools receive no direct revenue from local property taxes, except for a few in Cleveland.