Funded: Charters

Charter funding policies and reporting practices within each state may vary depending on the entity that authorized the charter school. Charter schools in Delaware may be authorized by local school districts and the State Department of Education.

Funding for charter schools in Delaware is calculated based on a formula similar to the one used to calculate funding for traditional public schools.

Like traditional public schools, charter schools are funded through a resource-based funding formula that determines the cost of delivering education in a district based on the cost of the resources required to do so. Charter schools in Delaware receive the same amount of base funding for staff and for energy and other maintenance costs as traditional public schools. They also receive funding aimed at property poor school districts in the amount that their students would have generated in their district(s) of residence. In addition, charter schools receive a prorated portion of any other type of funding that is intended to be allocated on a student, employee, or school basis. Charters are also eligible for competitive grant programs, such as those awarded to charters serving high concentrations of students from low-income households or English-language learners.

Charter schools in Delaware receive funding directly from the state, as well as from local school districts.

Charter schools receive state funding directly from the state. They also receive a share of tax revenue raised by local school districts through local school district(s) where their students reside.

State law in Delaware does not specify that a share of charter funding is withheld.

All charter schools in Delaware receive a share of local tax revenue.

The Delaware State Department of Education calculates the local cost per pupil expended by each school district for each type of student in the previous year. Charter schools receive a share of local funding from their students’ district(s) of residence based on these rates.

Charter schools in Delaware constitute their own local education agencies.

Charter school students in Delaware are counted as students of the charter they attend for state reporting purposes.

State funding for charter schools in Delaware is reported separately from state funding for any district.

Charter school expenditures in Delaware are reported separately from expenditures of any school district.

Click here for Delaware's traditional district funding information.