$35 million of the school budget follows students to charters

What happened

The 2026-2027 budget presentation shows $35,200,856, about 15 percent of the district's $271.5 million budget, being paid out as tuition for 1,731 East Orange children enrolled in 21 charter schools, roughly $20,300 per student. Charter tuition is one of the $3.0 million increases the district lists among costs it cannot control. In response the district hired the firm Caissa to run a recruitment campaign aimed at bringing charter and private school students back; its annual report says the campaign produced commitments for a little over 50 students.

Why it matters to families

Money follows students, so every child who enrols elsewhere takes district funding with them while the buildings, heating and staffing left behind cost much the same. That is the arithmetic behind the district's staff cuts and its decision to spend on recruitment, and it is why enrolment numbers matter to families who stay.

The evidence

The 2026-2027 proposed budget presentation states that transfers to charter schools represent 15 percent of the proposed budget and supports 1,731 students enrolled in 21 charter schools with tuition totalling $35,200,856, and lists charter school tuition among $16.4 million of uncontrollable increases. The District Annual Report 2025-2026 describes the Caissa recruitment partnership and the commitments it produced.

The source