REPORT TO THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND THE SENATE
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION OF THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE
RESPONSE TO HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 187
OF THE 2014 REGULAR SESSION
FROM THE STATE BOARD OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Prepared by the Louisiana Department of Education
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
House Concurrent Resolution 187 requested that the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), in collaboration with the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, the Louisiana School Board Association and Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools, study and explore all options for providing free transportation to students attending charter schools. Charter schools play an important role in educating students throughout Louisiana. In an effort to ensure that every student that wishes to attend a charter school is given ample opportunity to attend, the Board finds that all state-­‐
authorized charter schools should be required to offer transportation services to students who live more than one mile from the school and within the parish in which the school is located. This requirement should be phased in over time for existing charter schools in order to plan and adapt their budgets accordingly. REQUIREMENTS OF THE RESOLUTION
House Concurrent Resolution 187 of the 2014 Regular Session urges and requests the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, in collaboration with the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents (LASS), the Louisiana School Boards Association (LSBA), and the Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools (LAPCS), to study and explore all options for providing free transportation to students attending charter schools and to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education no later than sixty days prior to the convening of the 2015 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. The resolutions request that in conducting such study, the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education should consider including the costs of providing such transportation in the Minimum Foundation Program formula proposed for the 2015-­‐2016 school year. METHODOLOGY
The information for this study was obtained through a review of existing charter school laws and policies, both locally and nationally, through a review of state-­‐authorized charter enrollment and finance reports as well as local school district financial reports, and through a series of conversations with charter school leaders and LAPCS. Department of Education staff also discussed findings and recommendations with the author of this resolution and the leadership of LSBA and LASS. FINDINGS
Background Over the last 20 years, the number of charter schools in operation across the state has steadily increased, expanding options for students and their families. For the 2014-­‐2015 school year there are 134 charter schools in 20 parishes, serving over 70,000 students. Of these 134 charters schools, 98 were authorized by BESE (33 Type 2s, 1 Type 4 and 64 Type 5s) serving over 42,000 students and 36 were authorized by local school boards (23 Type 1s, 13 Type 3s) serving over 18,000 students. Current Louisiana Charter School Transportation Requirements and Statistics Currently, 88.5 percent of state-­‐authorized, non-­‐virtual charter schools in Louisiana currently provide free transportation for students. Based on existing state statutes and regulations, charter schools in Louisiana are not required to provide free student transportation unless mandated by their authorizer. Presently, BESE requires all Type 5 charter schools to offer transportation services to students residing within the parish or within its approved attendance zone if the student resides more than one mile from school. This requirement is outlined in the charter operator’s contract agreement. The other two types of state-­‐authorized charter schools (Type 2s and Type 4s) are currently not required to provide free transportation to students. Two of the 33 Type 2 charter schools currently operating in the state are virtual schools, making transportation unnecessary. Of the 31 Type 2 charter schools that are not virtual schools, 20 (64.5 percent) currently provide free student transportation, despite the fact that it is not required. The state’s only Type 4 charter, Louisiana High School for Agricultural Sciences, also provides free student transportation. 2014-­‐2015 TYPE 2 CHARTER SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION STATISTICS School Name Acadiana Renaissance Charter Academy Advantage Charter Academy Avoyelles Public Charter School Baton Rouge Charter Academy at Mid-­‐City Belle Chasse Academy D'Arbonne Woods Charter School Delhi Charter School Delta Charter School Glencoe Charter School Iberville Charter Academy Impact Charter International High School of New Orleans International School of Louisiana Jefferson Chamber Foundation -­‐ East JS Clark Leadership Academy Lafayette Renaissance Academy Lake Charles Charter Academy Lake Charles College Prep Louisiana Connections Academy Louisiana Key Academy Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy Lycee Francais de la Nouvelle Orleans Madison Preparatory Academy Milestone Academy New Orleans Military/Maritime Academy New Vision Learning Academy Northeast Claiborne Charter Northshore Charter School Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy Tallulah Charter School The MAX Charter School Vision Academy Willow Charter Academy Parish Lafayette East Baton Rouge Avoyelles East Baton Rouge Plaquemines Union Richland Concordia St. Mary Iberville East Baton Rouge Orleans Orleans Jefferson St. Landry Lafayette Calcasieu Calcasieu East Baton Rouge East Baton Rouge East Baton Rouge Orleans East Baton Rouge Jefferson Orleans Ouachita Union Washington Calcasieu Madison Lafourche Ouachita Lafayette Offers Transportation? No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes N/A No N/A No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Other State Charter Transportation Requirements Of the 43 states (including Washington D.C.) that have a charter school law, 16 require transportation to be provided to charter school students. Of the 16 states requiring charter transportation, seven states require charter schools to be the sole provider of student transportation. The remaining nine states either require the local school district to provide transportation to charter school students or give the option for either the district or the charter school to provide transportation. Most states outline a specific distance (i.e. one to three miles from school) to trigger the transportation requirement and do not require transportation to be provided outside of the district in which the school is located. Funding for Student Transportation in the MFP The Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) formula provides state funding to local education agencies (LEAs), including charter schools, to support the minimum cost of education. LEAs are expected to meet financial obligations, including student transportation, using MFP funds and other available dollars. For the 2013-­‐2014 school year, transportation expenditures across all LEAs (including charter schools) totaled $481 million. The average transportation cost across all LEAs was $678 per student. The average state-­‐authorized charter transportation cost was approximately $700 per student. RECOMMENDATIONS
State-­‐Authorized Charter Schools Future Authorized Schools The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will require all future state-­‐authorized charter schools to offer free transportation to all students who live more than one mile from the school and within the parish in which the school is located. Future state-­‐authorized schools should include their transportation plan along with the estimated costs to provide student transportation services in their charter application. Final approval of individual charter school student transportation plans will occur during the Department of Education’s charter school pre-­‐opening process. Charter school student transportation plans may include the following options: (1) Partner with the local school district to provide transportation services; (2) Contract with a private transportation provider; (3) Purchase buses or vans to provide transportation services; (4) Provide access to public transportation in accordance with uniform standards established by the State Superintendent of Education; or (5) A combination of options 1-­‐4. Existing Authorized Schools The Board will require existing state-­‐authorized charter schools to offer free transportation to students who live more than one mile from school and within the parish in which the school is located. However, this requirement will be phased in over a three-­‐year period so that current school operators have time to create and implement a plan and adapt their budgets accordingly. Waiver Process Virtual schools, small special mission schools, and schools under extreme financial hardship will be able to seek a waiver of these transportation requirements. In the event that a charter operator seeks a waiver for economically justifiable reasons, the operator will be required to submit certain specified evidence to demonstrate its need. Locally Authorized Charter Schools While locally authorized charter schools are not required by state law or regulations to provide free transportation to students, and some do not, local school boards may require them to do so. CONCLUSION
Currently, 88.5 percent of state-­‐authorized (non-­‐virtual) charter schools in Louisiana provide free transportation for students. However, that figure is 64.5 percent for non-­‐virtual Type 2 charter schools. In an effort to ensure that every student who wishes to attend a charter school is given ample opportunity to attend, BESE will ensure that all state-­‐
authorized charter offer transportation services to students who live more than one mile from the school and within the parish in which the school is located. This will be a requirement for all future state-­‐authorized charter schools and will be phased in for current charter school operators in order to allow for necessary planning and budgeting.