Charter school advocates demand equal funding

Charter school parents and advocates rallied in front of Growing Up Green Charter School Thursday morning in Long Island City.

They argued that in the last six years, education spending per student went up six times as much for public school than for charter schools. According to Families for Excellent Schools, the pro-charter organization that hosted the rally, charter schools have only received $350 per student, compared to $2,113 per student in public schools.

“As a result of receiving less in funding, we are forced to do more with less,” said Growing Up Green founder and principal Matthew Greenberg. “It is time for this unfair treatment to end. I am standing here before you today to demand equality and a fair deal for our students.”

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive budget includes a $27 million increase in funding for charter schools and a proposal to unfreeze the funding formula that advocates say has caused the difference in funding.