Michigan bills to increase oversight over charter schools made it out of the state Senate Education Committee Wednesday.
The legislation would require charter schools and the groups that operate them to make more information about their operations and finances public.
Committee chair, state Senator Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), said there needs to be more transparency to ensure public education dollars are spent properly.
“We don't know as Michigan taxpayers how much of our taxpayer dollars is going to line the pockets of CEOs of for-profit education management companies versus how many of our taxpayer dollars goes directly to help pay charter schools’ teachers more, for example,” Polehanki said.
Charter school advocates said those schools have public boards and other bodies that already ensure accountability.
Michigan Association of Public School Academies President Dan Quisenberry said the package would hurt charter schools.
“We get less funding. We don't get facility funding. Charter schools are very efficient in how they utilize those precious public dollars, create higher outcomes. So, what's dangerous there is requiring even more administration, even more reporting, even more hassle,” Quisenberry said.
Other parts of the bill package would try to prevent self-dealing by prohibiting education management organizations from entering new leases or property sales with the charter schools they run.
During the committee hearing, Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) said the lease and sale restriction would hurt charter schools.
“It’s probably a good business model since they have no other way of funding facilities,” Damoose said.
But Polehanki accused for-profit education management organizations of using real estate to benefit themselves with public education dollars.
“That may be a good business model for the EMO. That is not a good business model for the state taxpayer,” she said.
With the end of the legislative session rapidly approaching, time is short for getting these bills to the governor.
Part of the package requiring signage displaying a charter school’s management would get to her desk after passing the Senate, if no further changes are made. Others would still need to make it out of both the state Senate and House of Representatives.
