Spending and Staffing in Charter Schools

• In Event: Moscone Center West Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: School Choice and Finance

Abstract

We analyze how charter schools and their counterparts of comparable traditional public schools differ in staffing and spending their operating budgets under varying conditions using a national database. We analyze differences in staffing and spending patterns between charter and traditional public schools in terms of their key staff allocations, the salaries that they pay them, and their instructional-related spending. Our results indicate that charter schools tend to hire relatively more administrators, though not teachers, than traditional non-charter schools. They tend to pay lower salaries and spend more on instructional services.

Authors

• Yas Nakib, The George Washington University

• Kara Long, The George Washington University