Charter Schools: Funding Tennessee’s Authorizers and Schools
November 2014
Authors: Tara Bergfeld and Elizabeth Jones
ASD Resource Document - Services
ASD Resource Document - Presentation
This legislative brief is in response to requests from the Chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees for a review of various issues surrounding charter school authorizer fees and the receipt of education funds by charter schools. The brief provides information on charter school authorizing in Tennessee, including a review of national best practices for charter school authorizers, profiles of active Tennessee authorizers, possible funding mechanisms for authorizers, and authorizer tasks and associated costs. Also included is a review of model legislation and considerations related to the implementation of authorizer fees, as well as select profiles of other states’ laws related to funding charter school authorizers. The brief also provides an overview of charter school funding in Tennessee. The brief does not attempt to calculate the actual costs related to authorizing.