Even though charter schools and district schools receive equal funding from the state, charters generally receive less funding per student because they tend not to have access to the local supplemental funds collected by districts. A University of Arkansas study found that in 2011, on average, charter schools took in $3,509 less in annual funding per student than district schools. To learn more about how charter schools in Colorado and Florida managed to win a larger share of local tax dollars, read “A Bigger Slice of the Money Pie” from our recently released Spring 2018 issue. You can also find out more about charter schools on our topics page.

—Education Next