May 14, 2024
State schools basis for charter school expansion
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Associate Education Minister David Seymour says he wants to turn 35 state schools into charter schools over the next two years.
He says this month’s Budget will include $153 million in new funding over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state schools to charter schools.
Even before official applications open he has heard from potential applicants such as Tipene St Stephen’s School and Takapuna’s AGE School, which markets itself as being for children who learn differently, gifted and creative children, dyslexic children, high achieving young athletes and children who prefer small class sizes.
Mr Seymour says sponsors will have a fixed-term contract of 10 years to operate a charter school, with two rights of renewal for 10 years each.
They will largely be funded on a ‘per student’ basis, and funding will be broadly equivalent to that for state schools with similar rolls and characteristics.
To provide independence from the Ministry of Education, a new departmental agency is being created to establish, implement, operate and monitor the performance of charter schools.