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Charter Schools File Suit to Resolve Funding Dispute

With the California Department of Education

Options for Youth & Opportunities for Learning Charter Schools Ask

Court to Rule on a Key Calculation Used in State Funding Decisions

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Feb. 15, 2006) – California’s largest group of independent study charter schools has filed suit against the California Department of Education (CDE) and others over the interpretation of a critical calculation used to determine funding, school officials announced today.

The lawsuit was filed yesterday in Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County on behalf of Options for Youth (OFY) and Opportunities for Learning (OFL) charter schools, which annually teach more than 20,000 mainly low-income, minority students who have dropped out or are at-risk of dropping out of school.

According to the suit, OFY and OFL – like school districts throughout California – receive funding based primarily on the number of pupils they serve.  The charter schools believe legal action is necessary to clarify the manner in which that funding is determined by the state, acting through the CDE, the State Board of Education (SBE) the Financial Crisis Management Team (FCMAT) and the other defendants.

Background

The dispute has arisen over the differences between how the schools operate and the way in which CDE and FCMAT interpret the law, which sets the minimum length of the school year at 175 school days in establishing the definition of one “full time equivalent”(FTE).

OFY / OFL’s Position

OFY and OFL therefore seek a ruling that this interpretation is contrary to law, regulations, and the direction of the state board, and is contrary to common, accepted practice. In fact, The CDE’s own 2003-04 database identifies approximately 6,152 individual teachers, spanning 1,097 schools in California, that have reported FTEs greater than 1.0, according to the lawsuit.

High Quality Program

Both OFY and OFL have had tremendous success in addressing the needs of at-risk students. Up to 70 percent of their students either graduate from the charter schools directly or are returned to a traditional school. Furthermore, the schools do well on the high school exit exam (CAHSEE), which is widely considered the key measurement by the State of California. In this area, OFY and OFL charter schools’ passage rates either meet or exceed the rates of all alternative schools in the counties where they operate.

The success of the OFY/OFL programs, coupled with the epidemic of dropouts throughout California, often means long waiting lists for students who want to attend OFY and OFL. The schools are proud of their track record and continually seek ways to expand, improve, and make their programs even more effective.