Charter schools will be big winners in the new state budget under a tentative deal hammered out by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders Thursday night, sources close to the talks said.
For the first time, the privately operated schools will be eligible for government funds to cover the costs of leasing classroom space in private buildings, Albany sources said.
The city would be required to first look for space in regular public schools where new charters — or those wishing to expand — could be co-located.
If such space couldn’t be found, the city would have to reimburse any charters that rent in private buildings, which could cost the city as much as $40 million a year.
And in a slap at Mayor Bill de Blasio, he’ll be barred from charging rent to any charter school co-located in a public school building.
During the mayoral campaign last year, de Blasio vowed to charge rent to the better-funded charter.
“There is a complete ban on rent,” a source familiar with the deal said.
The agreement also calls for de Blasio to find alternate space for all three Eva Moskowitz Success Academy charters booted from city facilities for the fall.
Cuomo — as well as state Senate leaders Dean Skelos and Jeff Klein — pushed hard for the measures after de Blasio took actions to limit charters.
“The governor stuck it to de Blasio,” said another source.
For Cuomo, it was a promise made and a promise kept.
“We will save charter schools,” Cuomo told a crowd of 11,000 charter parents and students during a March 4 rally at the state capital.
He pledged to ensure that “charter schools have the financial capacity, the physical space and the government support to thrive and to grow.”
State Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) had more good news for charters.
“There will be more student aid for charter schools and they will get facilities aid as well,” he said.
The boost will be about 3.4 percent increase over four years.
That comes to about $500 per student over the period.
A spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver confirmed some of the details.
De Blasio’s anti-charter actions prompted Albany’s intervention. The new mayor enraged the charter school movement by vowing to charge schools getting rent-free space in city buildings and scrapping a $210 million charter building fund.
De Blasio then blocked the three Success Academy charters from co-locating in city buildings this fall — rescinding approvals of the plans last year by the Bloomberg administration.
One of them, Harlem Success Academy IV, is among the best-performing schools in the city and state.
City Hall didn’t bother to find the school an alternative space, and Chancellor Carmen Fariña was blasted after saying the displaced charter students were “on their own.” She later apologized, saying she misspoke.
Charter school advocates applauded Albany’s actions to counter de Blasio’s attacks on the alternative schools.
“New York public charter school parents spoke loud and clear over the last several months, and we are heartened that the budget deal negotiated by the governor and the legislature takes steps towards the growth of the charter sector over the next several years and ensures its immediate survival,” said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center.
De Blasio’s office — expecting Albany to fund his proposed pre-K expansion — declined comment on the charter school measures Thursday night.
But the mayor — whose approval ratings took a beating in the polls amid the school space fight — is now seeking peace with charter operators and vows to work with them.