High-performing charter schools can be an important piece of a citywide strategy to grow the number of quality schools and seats. However, gaining access to facilities has long been a barrier for charter schools: budgetary constraints mean they must tap into operational dollars to lease or purchase school buildings. Meanwhile, district-owned buildings often sit idle or underenrolled, at significant cost to taxpayers. This is an inefficient use of public resources and can limit the number of choices available for families. In a
new report, Sean Gill and Tricia Maas explore existing state laws on facilities access and point a way toward strategies for more collaborative uses of districts' publicly owned spaces.
