Res 0062-2018

By Council Member Levin Whereas, At the close of the 2012-2013 school year there were 159 charter schools operating in New York City; and Whereas, The number of charter schools has since increased by 43 percent to 227 schools in the 2017-2018 school year; and Whereas, Spending on charter schools in the City will now exceed $1.9 billion in FY18, an increase of 14% over the adopted FY17 budget; and Whereas, Similarly, spending on charter schools increased 14% from FY15 to FY16 and increased 15% from FY16 to FY17; and Whereas, There were also changes at the State level that will impact charter school costs in the upcoming school year; and Whereas, The Adopted State Budget included a $500 increase in the supplemental basic tuition rate for the upcoming school year, making the total per pupil rate $14,527; and Whereas, Additionally, the State approved an increase in the Charter Facilities Rental Aid for privately leased space from 20 percent to 30 percent; and Whereas, The increase in the supplemental per pupil tuition rate is reflected in the Executive Budget with an adjustment of $57.3 million in State Aid; and Whereas, However, the Executive Budget does not reflect an increase in funding to cover facilities payments for charter schools; and Whereas, Costs associated with charter schools will continue to rise annually due to State mandates, charter school growth and increases in enrollment; and Whereas, Before continuing the current pace of opening charter schools, the DOE should be required to provide a detailed report of how the funding levels for charter schools will grow over the next five years; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York City Department of Education to institute a moratorium on the opening of all new charter schools in New York City until the Department of Education produces a detailed report of how the funding levels for charter schools will grow over the next five years. LS 247/ Res 60-2014 LS# 773 JA 1/3/18