Getting charter schools going

Supporters suggest five ways to help charter schools find a home:

*Add resources for facilities. Most states fund only operating expenses for charter schools. (Current subsidies for facilities range from $1,200 per pupil in Arizona to $260 per pupil in Massachusetts. Florida offers one-time up-front payments that can be used for buildings.)

*Give charters access to low-cost financing. (Colorado and North Carolina explicitly allow bonding authorities to issue tax-exempt bonds for charters.)

*Create finance pools for charter schools. (Chicago created a $2 million loan fund for charter schools, which officials are considering expanding.)

*Give organizations incentives to supply facilities. (California is proposing giving tax credits to charter investors.)

*Improve the financial climate for charters. (New York's new law exempts landlords who rent to charters from property taxes on that space.)

Source: Charterfriends National Network