Offered by Councilors Jackson and O’Malley
CITY OF BOSTON IN CITY COUNCIL
RESOLUTION AGAINST THE 2016 BALLOT INITIATIVE REGARDING LIFTING THE CAP ON COMMONWEALTH CHARTER SCHOOLS WHEREAS, WHEREAS,
WHEREAS,
A foundation of our democracy are free public schools that are available to all students regardless of income, ability, need or English language proficiency; and All of Boston’s students deserve highquality public schools that teach the whole child, providing enrichment and addressing social and emotional needs in addition to core academic subjects; and Massachusetts ballot question number 2, the “Increase Access to Public Charter Schools Initiative” which will allow state education officials to lift the current cap on Commonwealth charter schools and allow them to approve up to 12 new Commonwealth charter schools a year, will be voted on this coming November 8, 2016; and
WHEREAS, According to the respected “National Report Card” by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), fourth graders in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) perform at the same reading level as many suburban communities in the nation, and BPS ranks as one of the top two large urban school districts nationally; and WHEREAS, The Boston Public Schools, the oldest public school system in the nation, estimates it will increase its enrollment to educate 57,314 students next year, representing about three quarters of all schoolaged students in Boston; and WHEREAS, The Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, of which Boston is a member, unanimously voted to oppose this ballot question, citing their concern over the financial impact on local public schools, as well as charter school accountability and transparency issues; and WHEREAS, Boston will lose $158.28 million to Commonwealth charter schools next year (five percent of the entire budget of Boston) and public school districts across the
Commonwealth will lose $537 million next year according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association — a loss of funds that undermines the ability of districts to provide all students with the educational services to which they are constitutionally entitled; and WHEREAS, Many established, respected parochial schools in Boston will be adversely affected by enrollment drains from new charter schools, affecting their ability to provide families who continue choose them with a quality education; and WHEREAS, Many existing Boston Commonwealth charter schools will face unwarranted increased competition from newer Commonwealth charter schools, undercutting their ability to provide their students access to an education of their choice; and WHEREAS, Commonwealth charter schools are not accountable to municipal school departments or local elected officials once they are approved and are instead maintained by the State; and WHEREAS, Local accountability for our public schools is necessary to ensure that schools are responsive to the needs of each unique community; and WHEREAS, The Massachusetts Association of School Committees opposes changing the current charter cap based on their concerns for its financial implications, the lack of local accountability and transparency of Commonwealth charter schools, and because Commonwealth charter schools often fail to serve the same proportion of special needs students, lowincome students, English language learners, and homeless students as the districts from which they receive students; and WHEREAS, According to the respected Lawyers Committee on Human Rights, Commonwealth charter schools often use unnecessarily high suspension rates and harsh disciplinary practices for nonviolent, noncriminal, often minor behavior that result in students being forced to leave a Commonwealth charter school they attend; and WHEREAS, The Commonwealth charter school system may be creating separate and unequal opportunities for success by excluding students with the greatest need; and WHEREAS, Lifting the cap on Commonwealth charter schools by passing Massachusetts ballot question number 2 on Tuesday November 8, 2016 would greatly worsen the problems listed above, and would lead to a costly and inequitable twotrack school system; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Boston City Council opposes the November 8, 2016 ballot question number 2 to lift the current cap on Commonwealth charter schools.