Phantom students and school choice.

in public •  2 years ago 

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/students-flee-but-the-money-keeps-coming-hold-harmless-phantom-public-schools-proficiency-choice-66671227

I have yet to hear a remotely convincing argument against school choice - from the perspective of the students, the parents and Americans in general. Perhaps the worst, yet most common, argument is that school choice would drain funds from the public schools. I have heard intelligent people indignantly make this argument. You see the problem, right? If parents have a choice at a zero price and choose an alternative at a non-zero price (or even at the same zero price) it must be because they prefer the alternative. The less preferred alternative gets a signal to improve or else lose the money. It should lose the money.

Well, it turns out (see the linked op-ed above) that state governments have set it up so that the failing public schools actually do not lose the money when students leave to enrol in charter schools - at least for an extended time. The public school retains the money for the student even though he/she is not there - a phantom student. This puts taxpayers on the spot to pay twice for these students.

Where is the outrage?!!

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