Miller amendment creates more transparency for charter schools

State Rep. Kyle Miller (D-Fort Wayne) today offered an amendment to House Bill 1167 which would create more transparency for taxpayers when it comes to charter schools that receive Choice Scholarships. Charter schools, which receive state funding but are not required to operate within the parameters of the local public school, are not accountable to the public. Thus, their school boards are not publicly elected and schools do not have to publicly state what their money is going toward.

Miller's amendment, which failed along party lines, would have required schools receiving Choice Scholarships to have open meetings that are live-streamed to the public. The freshman representative offered the following statement regarding his amendment:

 “If a school receives taxpayer dollars, they ought to be accountable to the public. This amendment would have ensured that taxpayers, who are effectively funding these institutions, know what they're paying for by requiring charter schools. Regardless of what school you send your children – private, public or charter – you have a right to know what the school is spending money on. If administration is prioritizing their students, you'll often be able to tell by what programs and resources they're funding. This amendment would have allowed parents and the taxpayers who are funding charter schools the ability to know what the schools are prioritizing and how they are using taxpayer dollars. While I'm disappointed it was voted down by the supermajority, I look forward to working in the future to increase transparency in the charter schools operating throughout the state.”