More Charter Schools Costing District

As charter schools grow in number and popularity in Nashville, the school district says it’s costing them a growing amount of money.

When a Metro student switches from a traditional public school to a charter public school they take with them about $8,000 in state and local funds. It pays for teachers, books, and maintenance.

Almost 800 kids will filter into five new privately run charters this fall. The district’s financial officer, Chris Henson, says they’re coming from so many different schools and grade levels, it doesn’t warrant cutting staff at the schools they’re leaving.

“There is no corresponding reduction in the number of teachers for instance because there aren’t enough students coming from any one individual school so we still have the same costs.”

Henson says $6 million needs to be added to the budget to accommodate the shift in funding from traditional to charters. Meanwhile the addition of charter schools is helping the district cope with growth. Up to 1,600 new students are expected to enroll in Metro this fall.