Charter Schools Ruled Unconstitutional by Washington State Supreme Court

William Pugh, Staff WriterSeptember 8, 2015Leave a Comment

James Island Charter High School in Charleston, SC

On Friday September 4th, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that charter schools are unconstitutional . This ruling states that public funds can only be used to support “common schools”. The ruling continues to add that charter schools-which are publicly funded but privately run- are not “common schools” because they are run by boards that are not elected, but rather appointed by the founders of the schools. The Seattle Times reported that this new ruling is the first of its kind, and will affect hundreds of students in the state’s nine charter schools. The ruling will become final by the end of September, allowing time for parties to ask the court for reconsideration.

A referendum known as Initiative 1240 was passed by a small margin in 2012 by voters in Washington State. According to the Washington Post, they had rejected opening public charters schools in 1996, 2000, and 2004. In 2012, however, the initiative has several wealthy supporters including Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

The law was challenged in 2013 by various organizations which argued that the law “improperly” diverted money from public schools to organizations that are private and “not subject to voter control”.

Kim Mead, president of the Washington Education Association added that “instead of diverting taxpayer dollars to unaccountable charter schools, it’s time for the Legislature to fully fund K-12 public schools so that all of Washington’s children get the quality education the Constitution guarantees them.”

AMHS Senior, Betsy Samber, also agreed that charter schools shouldn’t be able to “take public money, and not be expected to abide by all pubic policies or adapt to meet public concerns”.

Those not in favor of the ruling believe that charter schools are advantageous to the students they serve because of their flexibility. For example, inadequate teachers can be fired much more easily in a charter school, than through the processes that are necessary in public schools. In addition, the classroom structure and coursework can be modified in a more fitting manor depending on the school, location, and attending students.

New Orleans, for example, is one of two cities in the nation where the majority of public school students attend charter schools. As of May 2014, all but five schools in New Orleans were charter schools. The state’s education policy ranks 5th in the Nation, but its overall state education ranks 48th on the same list. A full list of the state policy and education rankings for the United States, as well as more information about how they are scored can be found here.

Here in South Carolina, the charter school debate continues. The Charleston County School District is currently is home to the following nine public charter schools:

Will a similar push to rid South Carolina of Charter Schools soon follow?