A new report from Our Schools Our Democracy (OSOD) lays out a damning reality: while Texas public schools struggle with historic underfunding, privately run charter schools are expanding unchecked and draining billions from local school districts with little oversight or accountability. It’s time for Texas parents and the public to have more power over the decisions that impact our kids’ education and cost taxpayers billions of dollars per year.
The report, Facing Facts: Charter Schools in Texas, comes at a critical moment as public education faces an existential crisis brought on by decades of underfunding and exacerbated by Gov. Greg Abbott’s charge to implement a private school voucher program. But the voucher debate shouldn’t overshadow the privatization of our schools that has already taken place; Texas has spent over $35 billion on charters since 2011, yet these schools lag behind traditional public schools in academic performance, have higher dropout rates, and operate with minimal public oversight. Among the report’s most alarming findings:
- Five major Texas school districts lost $5.3 billion in revenue in just five years due to charter expansion.
- Charters serve only 8% of Texas students but receive 17% of all state education funding.
- Charter schools have triple the high school dropout rate compared to traditional public schools.
- The Texas Commissioner of Education, a single appointed official, approves every new charter campus without public input—giving communities no say in whether these schools open.
- Charters routinely engage in wasteful spending, including a $15 million private jet lease, a luxury sports skybox, and high-end real estate deals—all funded with taxpayer dollars.
Unlike neighborhood public schools, which must serve all students and operate under strict financial regulations, charter schools can reject students, cut essential services, and spend public money with minimal transparency. The report details how Texas’ largest charter networks have been caught funneling millions into shady real estate deals, rewarding executives with excessive salaries, and avoiding accountability by operating under private nonprofit boards.
State Rep. Terry Canales didn’t mince words, “Charter schools are playing with Texas taxpayer dollars like Monopoly money. Meanwhile, our public schools are being starved of resources. I won’t stop until we rein in this industry’s malfeasance.”
The concern cuts across party lines.
“Parents and the public should have input into any proposal to locate a new charter campus,” said former State Board of Education member Pat Hardy who slammed the lack of public oversight. “A democratically elected entity should have final approval. Otherwise, we’re allowing underperforming charters to multiply unchecked.”
For our severely underfunded public schools, this report confirms what we’ve long known: charters are not just an alternative but a direct threat to public school funding. Unlike public districts, charters can open in any community, even in places where they are not needed, siphoning off funding while failing to deliver better results. With public schools facing widespread staffing shortages, underfunded special education programs, and aging infrastructure, many Texas educators are wondering: why are charters getting billions while neighborhood schools are left scrambling for resources?
Charter schools should be held to the same high standards as public school districts and should not be the exception. From Brownwood to Brownsville, every community in Texas is impacted by unlimited charter school expansion. The future of our local public schools that are dedicated to educating all children is at risk. The facts are clear: charter expansion isn’t just unsustainable – it’s actively harming Texas students and public schools.