Parents and administrators at private choice and independent public charter schools start with the philosophical belief that all children have value and that their worth does not depend on the type of school they attend. Yet, these schools are starting from a financial deficit. The reality is they receive a fraction of the per-pupil funding compared to traditional public schools.
Close the funding gap and, in the words of Kingdom Prep principal Kevin Festerling, “We could open up five more of these [schools] tomorrow. We could say yes to more parents and more students.”
Right now in Wisconsin, traditional public schools receive an average of approximately $15,000 per student in funding from federal, state and local taxpayers. Independent, public charter schools and private schools that are part of one of Wisconsin’s parental choice programs receive thousands of dollars less. The Badger Institute is part of a coalition (other members include School Choice Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Americans for Prosperity, the American Federation for Children and K12/Stride) advocating for funding parity.
For more from parents and students across the state embracing the freedom to choose the best education, see our entire collection of Choice Stories.