Charter schools taking big bucks from city school district

YOUNGSTOWN — The treasurer of the Youngstown City School District said the loss of state subsidy money to local charter schools is hampering the district’s financial recovery efforts.

The state placed Youngstown in fiscal emergency in November 2006 when the district was running a $15 million general fund deficit, and a fiscal oversight commission was appointed to control the district’s finances as it seeks to return to solvency.

Despite making $27 million in spending cuts over the last two years and in the new school year beginning July 1, the district is still running a deficit, Treasurer William Johnson told the Financial Planning and Supervision Commission today.

Area charter schools are “the main thing that’s working against us at this point,” he said, explaining that charter schools are now taking $26 million a year to cover city school children who have moved to those schools.

For the complete story, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.