New York Voters Shift Right, Easing Kathy Hochul’s Support for Charter Schools

Over 25 years after charter schools were allowed to operate in New York, the number remains limited to just a few hundred, with inadequate public funding affecting their operation.

It is high time for a change—not solely to counter the influence of anti-charter teachers unions, but to improve educational opportunities for more children in New York.

Let’s close the door on these unions, remove or at least increase the cap, and ensure fair funding for these schools.

This presents an opportunity for Governor Hochul to demonstrate her commitment to prioritizing students as she prepares for re-election next year, especially as New York voters are moving rightward. Making this a key focus in the upcoming legislative session is essential.

Currently, the state has the potential to authorize 84 more charter schools before reaching a limit of 460, but New York City, which already has 282 charters, has reached its cap.

Additionally, the financial constraints imposed by the Legislature over the years mean that charters receive significantly less funding per pupil than their public school counterparts. In New York City, this amounts to about half of what other public schools receive.

Another issue arising from the law has led to older charters, and those at full capacity, missing out on reimbursements for rental costs, which other charters receive.

This situation forces these schools to dip into their already limited operating budgets to make up the difference—impacting their 27,000 students negatively.

Hochul should demand an immediate correction to these issues, alongside an increase in the cap and equitable funding for all charter schools.

Consider this: Thousands of students are on waitlists, eager for a chance to enroll in a charter school.

This urgency is warranted: Last year, charter students consistently outperformed their peers in traditional public schools, scoring 9 percentage points higher on state English tests and 13 points higher in math.

Among top-performing black and Hispanic charter school students, the progress was remarkable: Approximately 66% of black students in charters scored proficient, nearly double the 38% in traditional schools; for Hispanic students, the scores were 64% vs. 40%.

Teachers unions, which dominate traditional public schools but not most charters, are embarrassed by these results and worried about increased competition—especially regarding potential declines in their memberships if more charters open.

Moreover, because these unions contribute significantly to Democratic campaigns, Democrats have catered to their demands by capping charter schools and limiting their funding.

However, New York voters are increasingly leaning rightward: In 2022, Republican Lee Zeldin nearly won the governor’s race, coming closer than any GOP candidate in decades.

Furthermore, last November, Republican Donald Trump made substantial gains in nearly every single county in the Empire State compared to 2020, including notable improvements in New York City.

Do Hochul and other Democrats really want to jeopardize their standing by continuing to ignore voters who largely support charter schools?

Yet setting politics aside, the highest priority should always be the welfare of the children.

We can only hope that Hochul prioritizes lifting the charter cap and rectifying funding issues in her legislative agenda, which she will present during her State of the State address on January 14.

It is imperative that these proposals are passed, despite the inevitable resistance from allies of the teachers’ unions like Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

New York’s children deserve nothing less.