Naomi Matunda: Charter school students deserve same funding as other public school students

I am the mother of three boys in public schools here in Spokane – 14-year-old twins and a 7-year-old.

My husband and I moved to Spokane from Texas four years ago with our sons. We are both practicing nurses and make our kids’ education a priority. Like many working families, private school is not an option. When the traditional public school closest to us ended up not being a good fit for one of my boys, Spokane International Academy offered a tuition-free, charter public school option where he is at home.

As a charter public school parent, I am proud to advocate with other families urging state lawmakers to allocate equitable funding for all public school students, whether they are at a charter public school or a traditional public school and whether their ZIP code is in Bellingham, Longview, Yakima or Spokane.

Unfortunately, as students at SIA, my sons receive 25% less public funding than their friends in traditional public schools. This is because, in part, charter public schools may not access funding adopted by voters in local levies. This inequitable gap was narrowed with a fix last year by state lawmakers that will expire in 2025 unless it is maintained by the Legislature this session. Funding has already been adopted by the Legislature for other public schools that also may not access local levy support, such as tribal compact schools, and we are hopeful that lawmakers continue the work to ensure that all public school students are supported equitably, no matter what public school they attend.

When we moved to Spokane from Texas, we were already interested in enrolling our sons in a charter public school because we had a positive experience at a charter school in Texas that emphasized an engineering-based curriculum. Though no test is needed for admission and, like all public schools, SIA is free to attend, their classrooms were full at that time and my sons were put on a waiting list. I suspect that many families appreciate diversity in their community and so it was no surprise that a school that prioritizes a global perspective is in high demand. When openings became available at SIA, we were excited to enroll our sons.

Now that we are a part of the SIA community, I am grateful every day that my sons are receiving a high-quality education and also see themselves in the other students and teachers. At their previous school, one of my sons was the target of a racially motivated attack. I am from Kenya, and my upbringing there was far away from the racism that Black youth experience in America. My husband and I have taught our sons how to acknowledge racism but not be defined by it. Still, it was an unacceptable incident that undermined a safe learning environment for him. I don’t know what we would have done without a public school like SIA when we needed to find a different school for my son.

There are only 17 charter public schools in our state, and they exist because Washington voters agreed the state should support a public school system that recognizes the different ways students learn. In Olympia, even in the midst of a multibillion-dollar deficit, I hope that state leaders protect the foundation of an inclusive, just society and protect funding for all public schools.

In Texas, my sons’ school taught them about the state. In Kenya, my school taught me about the continent. At SIA, they teach about the world. Different languages are spoken and taught. Refugees are part of the curriculum, visiting the school to engage in classroom activities that are centered on helping students value the vibrancy of different backgrounds and cultures. This experience is rich in learning and in preparation to thrive in a global society.

At a time when it feels like so much is being torn apart, we should rally around what should keep us together – the future of our kids. In Washington, public school students from all four corners of our state should receive equitable funding at their schools. When they do, they benefit from our shared determination that all of Washington’s students have a chance to succeed wherever they go in the world.

Naomi Matunda is the proud parent of three boys and has lived in Spokane since 2021.