The district and charter school supporters need to sit down together to make a recommendation to Harrisburg that will decrease the financial disincentive from the school district while concurrently untying the charter schools' hands. In the meantime, the district can take action to minimize its loss in regard to charters. The district can, and should, develop a strategic plan that will ensure that it realizes the needed critical mass. The district can determine a target area for charter school development and extend competitive preference to those charter school applications that would serve in the target area. That way, the students transferring to charter schools will be in a concentrated area, allowing the district to cut its costs.
Charter schools are here to stay.
We cannot allow the bottom line of charter funding to draw a dividing line between the district and its charters. A cooperative attempt to reach a mutually beneficial solution to the charter funding problem is a necessary first step in our learning to live together. Bob O'Donnell is the ex-speaker of the Pennsylvnia House of Representatives who introduced the first charter school bill in Pennsylvania. He is chairman of the Charter School Resource Center. If you experience any problems with the Daily News Web site, please let us know.