After months of study, the Georgia Charter Schools Commission approved a $5,800 per pupil funding level for Georgia's virtual charter public school students.  Still, Georgia brick and mortar students receive an average of $10,000 per pupil?58 percent more than virtual charter public school students. Along with their solid academic scores, this is proof positive that virtual charter public schools can do a lot more with less, saving taxpayers money.

Despite this positive step forward, last Friday, the Georgia legislature quietly slipped language in to the appropriations bill that could remove $600 from each virtual charter public school student and put that money back in to the district.  A district that is not educating that student. 

For a quick back-story, in 2008,  Governor Sunny Purdue signed HB881 into law, creating the Charter Schools Commission to oversee Georgia's charter schools.  Last year, after two virtual charter public schools were approved but withdrew from the state due to the extremely low initial funding level, the Commission knew it had to make some needed changes to its funding structure.

As Mike Klein notes, "The $5,800 per pupil funding level approved in December was considered a good compromise if somewhat below the $6,500 national average. There was consensus on the commission board and among education companies that the state had done what it could inside a very tough budget."
 
Sadly, it sounds like this is a way for legislators to give districts money without having to allocate more state funds.  To add insult to injury, this is not even a cost savings to taxpayers.  This is simply a shuffling of funds that takes money away from the student's education. And it ignores the fact that these virtual charter schools are already operating with far less money than traditional brick and mortar schools.

Stealing from Peter to pay Paul is not the answer.