The Plain Dealer has
posted a link to the proposed language of the Cleveland Plan. In my first quick look at it (which entailed me looking at the Charter School provisions because they are first in the 189-page document), Cleveland is seeking to allow Charter Schools a bite of not just an operating levy, but a bond issue as well. In addition, the language specifically prohibits any adjustment in the amount of money Charters will get from the state, even if they get levy money. Again, Charters are paid much more per pupil than local districts by the state for the express reason that they can't get local revenues.
If they are allowed to collect local revenue on top of those larger state payments, it will mean unequivocally that the Charter Schools that get these revenues will be the most expensive schools in the
state district for taxpayers -- quite a far cry from their promised "Better and Cheaper" mantra from the late 1990s.
I will have more to say about this language throughout the day, but I wanted to put this out for you, dear readers, so you can look at it too. This plan is too important for all of us not to closely examine.
