What if the Alberta government could enhance choice in education and deliver top student marks, while saving taxpayers money? The government can make that a reality by removing the shackles limiting the growth of charter schools.

Charter schools are autonomous, government-funded, non-profit, non-religious schools that don’t charge tuition and deliver specific focus areas, such as music, academic enrichment, supports for mental-health struggles or Indigenous learning. Charter schools tailor opportunities to students who might not flourish in one-size-fits-all traditional government schools.

On average, charter schools consistently outperform all other types of schools. An analysis of grades 6 and 9 Alberta standardized test score data between 1997-98 and 2016-17 shows that charter schools almost always score better than all other types of schools — including independent schools that charge tuition.

At $8 billion, education spending makes up a significant chunk of the Alberta government’s operating budget. Controlling costs in this department is important if the government is going to scrap its multibillion-dollar deficit and debt that is increasing by more than $1 million every hour.

When it comes to saving tax dollars, charter schools are a success.

According to the Fraser Institute, charter schools save taxpayers an estimated $4,284 per student, per year. If five per cent of the students in traditional public schools moved to public charter schools, taxpayers could save more than $100 million per year.

Charter schools are now an election issue, with the United Conservative Party accusing the Alberta government of unfairly denying the applications of new charter schools.

The education minister does have final say on the establishment of charter schools, so the perception of political interference is hard to avoid.

In 2016, Education Minister David Eggen denied two charter schools — one for children with learning disabilities, the other a Spanish language science school — on the grounds that they were too similar to Calgary public schools.

The school focused on learning disabilities, ReThink Charter Academy, had received preliminary approval from the previous government. The school’s superintendent told media she has parents calling her crying because their learning-disabled children need help beyond what’s offered in the public system.

How can the government help charter schools flourish?

The UCP’s consideration of removing the arbitrary 15-charter-school cap is the first step. This limit is an arbitrary relic from the 1990s when charter schools were initially introduced. There’s no reason to limit charter schools if parents want to pick them.

Currently, local school boards serve as gatekeepers to charter schools. A charter society must first propose their alternative program to the local school board, which can reject the application. A school board, which may view a new charter school as competition for per-student tax dollars, can effectively stop a charter school in its tracks. These decisions shouldn’t be made by competing public school boards.

Unlike traditional public schools, charters operate under five to 15-year term limits, creating an administrative barrier and uncertain atmosphere among teachers, parents and administrators. Reviews of school success should always be done, but these term limits should be scrapped.

The sheer length of waiting lists for charter schools shows the government needs to do more to provide these opportunities for students.

“We suggest that as soon as you have a birth certificate for your child, you should put them on our waiting list,” said Jeff Wilson, Foundations for the Future Charter Academy board chair.

It’s time for the Alberta government to remove the restrictions on charter schools and let these institutions meet the growing demand. There’s no good reason to prevent more students from accessing the tailored education they deserve, while saving tax dollars.

Paige MacPherson is Atlantic director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and author of An Untapped Potential for Educational Diversity, and Franco Terrazzano is Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

This column was orignally published in the Calgary Herald on March 16, 2019.