California Aiming to Gut Charter School Funding

Kristen Welch August 20, 2025 Leave a Comment Imported News

If you are a parent, educator, or student in California- pay attention!

You may already be aware of the ticking time bomb that is Assembly Bill 84, which aims to blow up non-classrooom-based (NCB) charter schools, and it is sitting in the Senate Appropriations Committee’s suspense files as I type this article. This bill is dressed-up as an accountability bill, but is a blatant attack on educational choice, slashing funding for charter schools by an initially proposed 30%. Note that this percentage jumped instead of being lowered when amendments to the bill were made, and this of course, was done very sneakily. Now, the bill stands to slash funding in excess of 50%, and in some cases, completely. The lack of transparency alone should have us going hmmm.

From homeschoolers to special needs children, to rural families and those struggling financially, AB 84 massively threatens to rip away flexible, personalized education that thousands of Californian’s depend on. It should be noted that charter schools typically only receive on average of $3,500 per student per year, whereas public schools receive $14,000 on average per student!! How much more reduction in funding is to be expected here?!?! What in the fuck are public schools doing with all of that money when we see test scores slipping, enrichment programs fading, and more!!?! A discussion for another time, I am sure… but funny enough, even public schools are on board with advocating against this bill.

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What this bill does is seek to triple oversight fees and excessive audits and red tape will bleed schools dry, forcing cuts to teachers, tech, programs like art and STEM. Small vendors- think music instructors, tutors, etc.- are all toasted under the new credentialing rules as well. The jump in funding cuts was buried in the fine print of the bills’ amendments, showing the authors attempt to dodge scrutiny. This is not about reform or accountability. This is about all but eliminating charter school funding, which will have very far-reaching consequences. Think about this: as a homeschooling parent, I will now have to choose between mass-vaccinating my children to attend public school, which is not going to fucking happen. Or, I have to opt to revert back to filing a Private School Affadavit (PSA) which will allow me to continue homeschooling, but with ZERO funding. All while our family is still forced to pay taxes for other kids to attend public school and be brainwashed and indoctrinated. Cute, right? Now think of how many other families will be in the EXACT same boat if this passes!!

It is probably a good idea to start thinking about purchasing curriculum for the future if you are able, and to maybe save materials to be able to use for other kids or to trade with other families for. Use your funds this year VERY WISELY! Even if this bill does not pass, it is safe to assume that the attack on homeschooling is not going to lessen and will likely only get worse. Not a blackpill, but the truth so that we can prepare to face this shit head-on. If this bill DOES pass, same ideas apply but I want to also warn that the next thing to come down the pipeline will likely be a war on those who opt for the PSA. The passing of this bill will likely come with a major exodus from charters over to the PSA form, as many families feel strongly about being against a return to the traditional public school setting we have all become so unusually comfortable with.

We have until September 12, 2025 to bury this thing. Here is what you can do… you do not have to be a resident of California, nor do you have to have kids in school or even be a part of a charter school to voice your opposition. Here is a copy of the letter I drafted. Please feel free to use this as a template, highlighting your own situation or your thoughts about this bills’ proposed implications. Use this to tell your story!