The Impact of Increasing Funding for High-Performing Ohio Charter Schools: The Quality Community School Support Fund, 2019-23

For too long, Ohio underfunded its public charter schools. That policy was unfair to charter school students--many economically disadvantaged--whose educations received less taxpayer support simply by virtue of their choice of schools. It was also unfair to charter schools, which were required to serve children on fewer dollars than the districts nearby. Thanks to the leadership of Governor DeWine, Lieutenant Governor Husted, and the General Assembly, Ohio has recently made significant strides in narrowing the charter funding gap. One of the most critical initiatives is the Quality Community School Support Fund. Since FY 2020, this program has provided supplemental aid to quality charter schools--currently, in the amount of $3,000 per economically disadvantaged pupil ($2,250 per non-disadvantaged). Our latest report is an evaluation of the high-quality charter funding program. It finds positive results: The additional dollars have allowed charters to boost their teachers' salaries, reduced staffing turnover, and driven student learning gains.