Bill Overview
Title: Equitable Access to School Facilities Act
Description: This bill expands a grant program established to provide charter schools with facilities financing. Among other changes, the bill expands the allowable uses of a grant and revises the selection criteria for a grant. For example, the Department of Education must consider the extent to which the activities proposed to be carried out under a grant will increase charter schools' access to public buildings.
Sponsors: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals involved with or attending charter schools globally
Estimated Size: 10000000
- The legislation focuses on charter schools, which implies it affects students, staff, and other stakeholders involved in charter schools.
- The bill may influence the decisions of governmental education departments or organizations involved in educational facility funding or charter school administration.
- Since charter schools exist globally, this could potentially affect those involved in charter schools worldwide.
- For US charter schools, this could particularly affect students, educators, school administrators, and associated service providers in charter schools across the United States.
Reasoning
- The target population for this policy is primarily individuals directly involved in charter schools in the United States, which is estimated to range from 6 to 10 million people. This includes students, educators, and staff at charter schools.
- Given the budgetary constraints of the policy—$150 million in year 1 and $1.59 billion over 10 years—the funding is significant but needs to be allocated effectively to maximize impact across charter schools.
- The policy is likely to have a more substantial impact on charter schools in areas where facility resources are currently inadequate, potentially offering a medium to high impact in such scenarios.
- For individuals not directly involved with charter schools, the policy is unlikely to have any impact, and thus simulations should include people outside the target population to reflect non-impact scenarios.
Simulated Interviews
Student (Austin, TX)
Age: 17 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The gym facilities at my school really need an upgrade.
- I hope this policy could help us access better resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Charter school principal (New York, NY)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We have been limiting the number of students we can accept due to space issues.
- This policy could really help us expand our capacity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Charter school teacher (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's tough teaching in overcrowded classrooms.
- Additional space would improve teaching and learning conditions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Furniture supplier for schools (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 53 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If charter schools get more funding for facilities, it could increase demand for school furniture.
- This might boost my business indirectly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Parent of charter school students (Rural GA)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better facilities could mean more extracurricular activities for my kids.
- I'm hopeful this policy will bring positive changes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Retired educator (Chicago, IL)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I think improving facilities for charter schools is necessary.
- It's good to see investments in educational infrastructure.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
State education department official (Miami, FL)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will involve additional work in grant allocations.
- It will be interesting to see how charter schools prioritize investments based on this policy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Traditional public school teacher (Rural OH)
Age: 57 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I worry that more funding for charter schools will take away resources from public schools.
- My focus is on maintaining our school's resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Non-profit director for educational support (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 47 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy aligns with our goals of improving educational access.
- I'm hopeful it will lead to better equity in school resources.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Charter school facilities manager (Detroit, MI)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our school is in dire need of basic facility upgrades.
- This policy could finally allow us to do much needed renovations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $150000000 (Low: $120000000, High: $180000000)
Year 2: $150000000 (Low: $120000000, High: $180000000)
Year 3: $150000000 (Low: $120000000, High: $180000000)
Year 5: $150000000 (Low: $120000000, High: $180000000)
Year 10: $180000000 (Low: $150000000, High: $210000000)
Year 100: $200000000 (Low: $170000000, High: $230000000)
Key Considerations
- Changes to grant eligibility and criteria might increase the number of applications and the total grant expenditure.
- Access to public facilities may incur initial renovation or compliance costs, but could lower long-term operational costs for charter schools.
- The extended reach of this bill could provide support to underserved communities, contributing to broader educational equity.