Over the next ten years, California will need to build an additional 20,000 classrooms and 544 new schools to accommodate projected enrollment growth without even considering class size reduction or the need for modernization of existing classrooms. Existing rules and regulations inhibit the rapid construction of school facilities, hamper the development of the smaller schools movement, and add unnecessary expense. More funding and expedited approvals are needed to address this shortage.
Charter schools offer an immediate response to the lack of facilities, especially in urban areas.
Charter schools can use existing buildings without having to spend extra time and money to comply with the state requirements in place for all other public schools. Under existing law, public schools cannot use existing non-school buildings without significant costs and delays. The only exception is charter schools. Unfortunately, the lack of funding for charter schools to lease or purchase a facility has been the number one impediment to the creation of the new schools which are so desperately needed. With the passage of Proposition 39, California school districts have a responsibility to provide a fair share of their classrooms to the charter schools operating in their district.