Iowa doesn’t need more charter schools

Recently, Gov. Kim Reynolds pulled out all the stops to celebrate the signing of the expanded charter school law. She signed against a backdrop of students, and she had a Des Moines community activist give testimony about the benefit of the new law. At the conclusion of his speech, he asked, “Why not? why not?”

Even though his question was rhetorical, I thought I might provide some reasons, “Why not?”

Public charter schools in Iowa have been around since 2005-2006. The local school boards granted the charters, so they had a connection to the community and to the district. Under this version, the local school board may be bypassed, and the state may now grant the charter.

Throwing open the doors for more public schools does not mean more choice for Iowa’s students. It limits opportunity because it spreads the already meager public-school funding even further. It’s like expecting 10 for a soup dinner and 20 guests show up. You can add water and still have soup, but it just doesn’t taste the same, and it leaves people needing more.

The founding group applies for the charter and then there is an unelected governing board who manages the school. There are at least three specific problems with the concept of a founding group and an unelected governing board.

First, there is nothing in the law that requires the charter school to stay operating for any specific length of time. If history is an indicator, charters don’t have a great track record for longevity in other states. According to the Network for Public Education in a 2020 nationwide study, 20 percent of charters closed their doors within three years of opening, 25 percent closed within five years, and 40 percent were shuttered by their 10th birthday. So, the school dies a quick death, and the parents and students are left to mourn.

Secondly, the founding group will need deep pockets to start a school because the cost per pupil allocated by the Iowa Legislature certainly won’t be enough. That’s why corporations may be the first funding groups that venture into the “Field of Dreams.”

Also, rural parents shouldn’t be fooled that this law provides their kids with more choice. It doesn’t. After all, if a group is interested in making a money on a charter school, would they locate in Whiting or Hamburg, or would it try to locate in the booming suburbs around the four or five urban centers?

The famous bank robber Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks. Sutton replied, “Because that’s where the money is.” To survive and thrive, charter schools need two things. They need lots of people and lots of money.

Rural Iowa has neither.

The second threat to rural Iowa may be if too many of their neighbors choose the charter school in the suburbs instead of the public school in their own town. This could force the rural public school to close or consolidate against its will because of low school funding.

Thirdly, it appears the governing board has little connection to the community although the majority of the board must be from the geographic area. They are not elected by anyone.

That means no accountability and little access.

Iowa doesn’t need another layer of public schools. We just need to adequately fund the ones we have so all our kids have a future.

Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City and retired after 38 years of working in public schools, 11 as a teacher and 27 as a regional director for Iowa State Education Association.