A new report concludes that charter schools have little overall impact on education spending by local school districts.
The study released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation appears to back up claims from supporters of a November ballot question that would allow a major expansion of charter schools. Proponents say passage of Question 2 would not financially harm conventional public schools as opponents have argued.
The foundation's president, Eileen McAnneny, says the report found no evidence that charter school funding leads to a "systemic financial disadvantage" for district schools.
The report also says that school districts receive temporary reimbursement from the state when a student leaves a district school for a charter school. That is not the case when a student leaves for a regional vocational school.
