Education

Mayor Walsh, Mass. Democrats voice opposition to charter school ballot question

The Senate voted XX in regards to a compromise charter school bill. Jonathan Wiggs /The Boston Globe

August 17, 2016

1 minute to read

The Massachusetts Democratic Party voted to oppose a ballot question on charter schools, pitting the official party against fellow Democratic legislators who have supported the issue, State House News Service reports.

The ballot measure, Question 2, proposes to expand the cap on charter schools across the state. Proponents like Gov. Charlie Baker have said more charter schools—publicly funded schools that are generally independent of their local school districts—would benefit low-income and minority students.

But those opposed, including teachers unions, have said the ballot measure does not provide funding for those charter schools. Expanding the cap, then, would take money away from public schools.

“Our local communities cannot afford to lose even more money to charter schools,” former Rep. Carol Donovan, a Democratic State Committee member, said in a statement, according to State House News Service. “Already, cities and towns [are] forced to make budget cuts every year due to the state’s underfunding of education and the money lost to charters. If this ballot question passes, it will create budget crises in hundreds of Massachusetts communities, and hurt the students who remain in our local district public schools.”

Mayor Marty Walsh has also said he will vote against the ballot question, and he reiterated his opposition on Tuesday.

“Charters schools are not bad; they are not our enemies,” Walsh told The Boston Globe. “The enemy is that this ballot question doesn’t give us a funding source and that money is going to have to come from somewhere.”