In The News.
• Reporter: Ian Schwartz
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Charter schools and small school districts are afraid they could lose millions of dollars when the governor and lawmakers hammer out a budget next week.
Thursday night parents packed the Southwest Learning Center, a charter school in Northeast Albuquerque, to talk about their worries with state lawmakers and school administrators.
The way it works now, small schools get a little extra help from the state to pay the bills.
That extra money could be on the chopping block.
"I am angry at the fact that they are looking at charter schools to cut from," parent Ken Wood said. "I mean it works."
That is what many parents said Thursday night.
"If it is not broken, don't fix it," parent Deadra Chavez said. "This is a wonderful option for parents."
It all centers around something called the small school adjustments.
School districts get the same amount of money per student.
The bigger the school, the more money they get.
That is why small schools get extra cash from the state to help pay for overhead costs.
Southwest Learning center has grades 4-12 under one roof, so it gets money for three schools.
Some lawmakers want to take some of that money away from charter schools, something that is troubling to Amy Biehl Charter School principal and executive director, Mike May.
"It would have a very significant impact for operations for actual running of the schools," May said.
Amy Biehl could lose nearly $500,000 if the small school funding formula is changed.
"This discussion around what makes an effective school is really the one that we should be having," May said. "Not just can we take money from here and here."
Southwest Learning leaders said it will be out $1 million if it loses small school funding, forcing it to close.
Many parents during the Thursday night meeting said Santa Fe should not cut schools making the grade.
"Why take away money from something that isn't a problem, to throw it at a problem," Wood said.
If lawmakers slash small school funding, APS charter schools could lose $11 million.
This would also affect rural school districts that do not have a lot of students. To view the KRQE news story, click on the player below:
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Posted January 14, 2011