Thomas Ratliff

P.O. Box 232 State Board of Education tel: (903 !"!#""90

$t. Pleasant% T& !'(') *ice#+hairman ,,,.thomasratliff.com
FISCAL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CHARTERS
In 1995, the Texas Legislatue auth!i"e# $Chate S%h!!ls& '! the 'ist ti(e in !u state) The
*u*!ses !' these s%h!!ls, as liste# in the E#u%ati!n C!#e, +ee sh!t an# s+eet)
1, I(*!-e stu#ent leaning)
., In%ease the %h!i%e !' leaning !**!tunities +ithin the *u/li% s%h!!l s0ste()
1, Ceate *!'essi!nal !**!tunities t! atta%t ne+ tea%hes t! the *u/li% s%h!!l s0ste()
2, Esta/lish a ne+ '!( !' a%%!unta/ilit0 '! *u/li% s%h!!ls)
5, En%!uage #i''eent an# inn!-ati-e leaning (eth!#s)
Next, the E#u%ati!n C!#e sa0s, $This %ha*te shall /e a**lie# in a (anne that ensues the 'is%al
an# a%a#e(i% a%%!unta/ilit0 !' *es!ns h!l#ing %hates issue# un#e this %ha*te)&
H!+ #!es 'is%al an# a%a#e(i% a%%!unta/ilit0 +!3 '! an entit0 that has a /!a# that isn4t ele%te#
/0 the *e!*le it se-es, ! is /ase# !ut !' state5 H!+ %an th!se /!a# (e(/es /e e(!-e#
an#6! hel# a%%!unta/le5 Sh!ul# +e el0 s!lel0 !n #ata !n the Texas E#u%ati!n Agen%0 +e/site
an# h!*e that a-eage %iti"ens %an na-igate th!se e*!ts5
In#e*en#ent *u/li% s%h!!ls a%!ss the state ha-e l!%all0 ele%te# an# a%%!unta/le s%h!!ls /!a#s)
The0 *!st thei %he%3/!!3 egistes !nline) Thei su*einten#ent %!nta%ts ae a**!-e# in *u/li%
(eetings +hee the tax*a0es an# *aents %an atten#) The le-el !' tans*aen%0 is +hat +e ha-e
%!(e t! ex*e%t an# ight'ull0 s!)
S!, in light !' this #i''een%e, I th!ught it (ight /e hel*'ul t! *!int !ut a 'e+ t!u/ling things I
ha-e e%entl0 %!(e a%!ss ega#ing su*einten#ent salaies in %hate s%h!!ls %!(*ae# t!
*u/li% s%h!!ls) Hee ae the 'a%ts)
1) The t!* 17 highest *ai# su*einten#ents '! %hate s%h!!ls ae *ai# an a-eage !'
8.2.,19. *e 0ea +ith an a-eage en!ll(ent !' 1,719 stu#ents) ($79.74/student)
.) The highest *ai# %hate s%h!!l su*einten#ent is *ai# 8.99,777 an# has 15,515 stu#ents)
($19.24/student)
1) A %hate s%h!!l su*einten#ent in the :allas aea is *ai# 8.29,971 an# has 959 stu#ents
an# the #isti%t +as ate# $I(*!-e(ent e;uie#& /e%ause the #isti%t #i#n4t (eet the
state stan#a# '! $*!st se%!n#a0 ea#iness)& ($329/student)
2) A %hate s%h!!l su*einten#ent in the H!ust!n aea is *ai# 8.29,9.2 an# has .57
stu#ents) ($992/student!)
T! (a3e this *!int in a (!e staight'!+a# (anne, I ha-e in%lu#e# a %hat at the /!tt!( !' the
N!t *inte# ! (aile# at state ex*ense
next *age)
Fis%al A%%!unta/ilit0 '! Chates
<age .
H!+ #! these 'igues %!(*ae t! su*einten#ents in *u/li% s%h!!ls5 =la# 0!u as3e#)
1) The t!* 17 highest *ai# su*einten#ents '! *u/li% s%h!!ls ae *ai# an a-eage !'
81.1,15> *e 0ea +ith an a-eage en!ll(ent !' 57,555 stu#ents) ($6.39/student)
.) The highest *ai# *u/li% s%h!!l su*einten#ent is *ai# 812?,25? *e 0ea an# has 111,227
stu#ents) ($3.13/student)
1) Su*einten#ents !' *u/li% s%h!!ls that ae *ai# %l!se t! the a-eage %hate
su*einten#ent sala0 ae '!( the H!ust!n aea, the :6F@ aea, an# El <as! aea) The0
ae *ai# an a-eage !' 8.21,11? an# ha-e an a-eage en!ll(ent !' 15,9?1
($6.79/student), +hi%h is !-e 17 ti(es (!e stu#ents than thei %hate s%h!!l *ees *ai#
the sa(e sala0)
2) F!u su*einten#ents !' IS:4s +ith a-eage en!ll(ent !' 1,7?. ae *ai# an a-eage
sala0 !' 8119,119, ! 5?A !' the a-eage !' the t!* 17 %hate su*einten#ent4s sala0
+h! ha-e a %!(*aa/le le-el !' en!ll(ent))
@h0 #! I /ing this u*5 E-e0!ne agees that s%h!!ls sh!ul# (axi(i"e thei es!u%es !n things
that /ene'it the %lass!!( an# the 3i#s) It4s ha# '! (e t! en-isi!n h!+ these t0*es !' salaies
'! s(all en!ll(ent %hate s%h!!ls (eets that !/Be%ti-e)
@e ha-e hea# ele%te# !''i%ials at e-e0 le-el %all '! (!e (!ne0 t! /e s*ent in the %lass!!(,
/ut thei '!%us has /een !n the IS:s) I a( h!*e'ul that this in'!(ati!n +ill esult in the sa(e
s%utin0 an# the sa(e %all '! (!e 'is%al es*!nsi/ilit0 '! %hate s%h!!ls)
I 'in# it i!ni% that %hate s%h!!ls +ee su**!se# t! /ing 'ee (a3et *in%i*als int! the
e#u%ati!n (a3et*la%e /ut the0 ae !/-i!usl0 *a0ing +a0 a/!-e 'ee (a3et ates '! thei
su*einten#ents) I +!ul# als! li3e t! *!int !ut that these entities ae su**!se# t! /e n!nC*!'it
!gani"ati!ns, /ut at these sala0 le-els, s!(e *e!*le ae %leal0 #!ing ;uite +ell)
:!n4t ta3e (0 +!# '! it) =! t! htt*D66itte)tea)state)tx)us6a#h!%*t6a#*ea)ht(l an# ta3e a l!!3
a!un#) The nu(/es s*ea3 '! the(sel-es)
E0 e;uest is si(*le) I thin3 the Texas Legislatue an#6! the C!((issi!ne !' E#u%ati!n nee#
t! #e-el!* a s!luti!n t! this *!/le()
Aea T0*e Sala0 En!ll(ent 86stu#ent
T!* 17 %hate Chate 8.2.,19. 1,719 899)92
Highest %hate Chate 8.99,777 15,515 819).5
:allas Chate 8.29,971 959 81.?)99
H!ust!n Chate 8.29,9.2 .57 8991)97

T!* 17 *u/li% <u/li% 81.1,15> 57,555 8>)19
Highest *u/li% <u/li% 812?,25? 111,227 81)11
:6F@ <u/li% 8.2.,27> .>,129 89).7
H!ust!n <u/li% 8.2.,.7? 1>,2?2 8>)>2
El <as! <u/li% 8.22,?77 22,519 85)57
N!t *inte# ! (aile# at state ex*ense
N!t *inte# ! (aile# at state ex*ense