Recently there was a guest column in the Vail Daily about the Eagle County Charter School. It seems that some people in the area don't believe Eagle County Charter School is "one of theirs."
It's hard for many people to understand that a charter school is a public school like any other in the district. No tuition is charged, students can transfer between schools, everyone takes the CSAP, and accountability and Accreditation are the same. So why the confusion?
People sometimes acquaint "choice" with private education. Twenty years ago that could have been true, but choice in today's world means a variety of public options.
State law permits charter schools to participate in their school district's bond election questions. In fact, this has already happened in about a dozen school districts and so it shouldn't be anything new in Vail. Moreover, who is talking about the inequity of requiring charter schools to fund capital needs with their operating funds? On average, charter schools spend 15-25% of their Per Pupil Revenue on facility costs. Yet these charter school parents pay their taxes like everyone else.
The Eagle County School District should be applauded for believing charter school students are also "their kids."
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