Abstract
Are New Jersey charter schools underfunded relative to district schools? Advocates’ claims that charter schools are receiving almost 50% less than they should convinced the Christie Administration and the New Jersey Legislature to shift an additional $107.6 million from school districts to charter schools for the combined 2014-15 and 2015-16 academic years. However, claims of dramatic underfunding of charter schools are based on faulty comparisons and are not accurate. The reality of charter school funding is much more complicated than advocates suggest. There are differences in the per-pupil funding levels of individual charter schools, just as there are differences in funding levels among school districts. However, all New Jersey charter schools are receiving at least what they should under the state’s charter school law. And, some charter schools are actually funded at higher levels than their sending school districts, particularly when considering they're much less expensive to educate student populations. The confusion surrounding charter school funding is understandable given the complexity of the charter school funding formula and the fact that the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) does not make charter school funding information accessible to the public, as it does school district data. This report is intended to help dispel the confusion around charter school funding by providing a detailed explanation of the mechanics of that funding.