Charter Schools Concern for Residents

With the district possibly paying about $1.1 million in charter school tuition in 2012-2013, district officials and board members aren’t the only ones with concerns.

Introduced during Superintendent Jorden Schiff’s report at the May 16 Board of Education meeting, the two charter schools could present several challenges for Hillsborough officials this budget season. With one, the New Jersey Sino American School, proposed for Somerset and a second, the Trillium School, proposed for Flemington, the district expects tuition payments around $1 million in the 2012-2013 school year.

Both schools have applied to the New Jersey Department of Education for charter approval.  If accepted, the New Jersey Sino American School would offer slots for 43 Hillsborough students, while the Trillium School would have 63 slots for Hillsborough students.

For some residents, the payments make little sense for taxpayers.

“I don’t understand this charter school business, quite frankly,” Tim Jordan, of Brokaw Court, said.  “I understand that there are large amounts of options that let parents send their children to any school that they choose to.  But I don’t think it should be my responsibility as a taxpayer in Hillsborough to pay for that. I think it’s my responsibility to pay for the students that are in this school district to get their education.”

 Jordan asked additional questions regarding the schools, including whether charter schools teachers have the required teaching credentials and the number of Special Education students the schools would accept.

While the teachers must adhere to the teaching credentials seen in public schools, regular schools, Schiff did not know the percentage of Special Education students the schools would admit.  The schools cannot discriminate against Special Education students, he added.

Charter school sending districts pay tuition cost associated with enrollments, so if enrollment increases, the cost to the sending district increases.  In one case, mentioned by New Jersey School Boards Association delegate Marc Rosenberg, the Princeton school district saw costs increase to $5 million—which the district needed to pay from its budget.                                     

An increase in costs and impact on the budget elicited more concern from Jordan.

“I think this might work in areas where the school system is not to the level that it is in Hillsborough,” Jordan said. “I have to say, to me it would be unnecessary for someone to send their students to another facility because we have one of the best in the county and probably in the state.  So I’m not sure I support this charter business.”

“I would hate to have, in five years, a five million dollar check going to a charter school from our budget,” he added.

For Hillsborough Education Association President Barbara Parker, the possible enrollment numbers posed one concern. According to Schiff, the schools estimate an initial goal when developing a charter and name towns from which it will accept students.  As the Department of Education analyzes the school’s charter, it determines the number of students that can be drawn from each sending district. Larger districts typically receive a higher number of available slots and tuition costs are based on enrollment, Schiff said—meaning the district could pay less if fewer students attend or pay more than the estimated amount if a larger number of students attend the school.

“However, the board needs to anticipate initial enrollment and the figures that I have presented . . . are based upon the DOE’s estimate of how much the board should set aside in anticipation of charter school tuition,” he said.

In addition, the district would need to anticipate transportation costs, he said in response to another of Parker’s questions.

Additional questions included the charter school’s teachers’ contract, however Schiff said he was not certain on contract specifics.

At least one board member, Greg Gillette, would agree with charter schools in Somerset County, but did not agree with public school money going to a school in another county.

“Charter schools outside of this county should not be paid for by schools inside this county,” Gillette said.  “I’d much rather pay for charter schools in Somerset County.”

“Some type of sharing of costs between the big districts and the smaller districts might not be such a tremendous burden on a district that might lose one hundred students and lose a lot of dollars.”

Gillette also noted that school population had been declining in Hillsborough and charter schools might be viewed differently had enrollments been rising.