Charter Schools Owe Texas $26 Million

Will the state of Texas collect from these deadbeat schools?

The Texas Education Agency, which oversees public education in the state, is working to recover $17 million of the $26 million from nearly half of the charters now operating in Texas. TEA records show that 20 schools went out of business before the state could recover its money, leaving taxpayers holding a $9 million bag of debt.

These charters collected state funds either by inflating the number of students in their classrooms or by making accounting mistakes.

If they collected state funds by inflating student numbers, then they should face criminal charges. If it was the result of an accounting mistake, they should face civil charges. Either way, the state should not be left holding the bag.