Do Charter Schools Staff and Spend Differently? A Multiyear Examination

• In Event: Charter School Operations: Finance, Governance, and Classrooms

Abstract

We analyze resource allocation patterns of charter schools and their comparable traditional public schools. We tap into a unique national database that provides spending data at the school level and examine staffing and spending patterns under varying conditions. We focus on the staffing allocations, salaries, as well as spending on instructional-related services. Our results indicate that charter schools relative to their traditional counterparts tend to have larger classes, hire relatively more administrators while hiring less teachers. They tend to pay lower salaries and spend more on instructional services irrespective of the degree of competition they face.

Authors

• Yas Nakib, The George Washington University

• Kara Long, The George Washington University