This letter was submitted by our own Bev Hahn in reply to a George Will column. It wasn’t published but we’re sharing it with you anyway.

To the Editor:

George Will’s column of 4/25 on education was wildly ill-informed. Each state has crafted its own laws governing charter schools and they differ substantially, so it is folly to describe them in blanket terms as he did. For example, he stated that charter schools do not divert money from public schools, but in PA they do just that. When a student attends a charter school, the school district of the student’s residence must take the amount it would have spent on that student and funnel it to the charter school. School districts then must maintain the same level of education and services for the remaining students but with fewer funds causing local tax hikes. Also in our state, charter schools benefit disproportionately regarding special needs students since there is no distinction between payment rates for kids requiring differing levels of additional support. Research has demonstrated that charter schools enroll special needs students requiring less costly support but rarely those with serious physical challenges that the traditional public schools educate at a higher cost. The overwhelming majority of school districts in PA have warned that the effect of charter schools on public education is death by a thousand cuts. But perhaps, that has been the strategy of some all along.

Beverly Hahn
Blue Bell, PA 19422

To see the Will article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/04/22/biden-plan-attacks-charter-schools/