As a public charter school parent, I am disappointed that more hasn’t been done to address the unfair treatment charter students have seen consistently since the first schools opened in 1997. My daughter and I, who attends the Inter-district School for Arts and Communication (ISAAC), chose the school because she wanted to continue refining her performing arts skills, while being academically challenged. 

Currently, ISAAC is flat-funded at $11,000 in public support per child – on average almost $4,000 less than what district schools across the state receive. I don’t understand why my daughter is being penalized because we chose ISAAC over her local district school. She’s still a public school student, and her learning needs haven’t changed. It’s completely unfair that she’s being funded differently. 

Every student should have the opportunity to choose what type of education works for them, rather than being placed in a school based solely on where they live. And in 2016, children shouldn’t have to continue to fight for equal school funding in one of the wealthiest states in the country. It is time we invest in an equitable funding system that will ensure that we are treating all students fairly.

Rochelle Duyan

Ledyard