Where is the real waste of taxpayer dollars? Traditional Public schools... or virtual charters?

   We should re-examine some expenditure data in a previous article to really determine which type of school wastes more taxpayer dollars. The "Sideshow Bob" charter school advocates often say that traditional public schools waste taxpayer dollars by spending an extraordinary amount of money for administrative functions... but fail to provide the evidence.
   When the 2015-2016 expenditure data for a typical virtual charter school was examined and compared to expenditure data for a typical traditional public school - the results were startling: The traditional public school with 2,000 students spent a total $18,530,236 during the 2015-2016 school year. Of this total expenditure, $522,296 was spent for administrative functions (OCAS 2300 and 2500) or 2.8%. The typical virtual charter with 1,100 students spent a total of $6,498,538 during the 2015-2016 school year, with $1,120,867 coded to administrative functions - or 17.2%.
   A more detailed examination of the two schools' administrative spending reveals some stark differences as well. The administrative costs for the traditional school was broken down into 93 categories. The 93 separate expenditures included such state or federal requirements as Board Treasurer Services, Election Services, Legal Services, Audit Services, Office of the Superintendent Services, and County Revaluation Services. All 93 administrative expenditure categories totaled $522,296!
   The virtual charter's administrative spending was codified in only 11 categories totaling $1,120,867, in stark contrast to the traditional school's microscopically detailed coding. What was very interesting is that more than half ($672,414) was coded to Administrative Services! It's anyone's guess as to what Administrative Services the taxpayer dollars was spent?
   Traditional public school advocates should be outraged by the deception and outright lies provided to Oklahomans, as the facts speak for themselves. The question about which type of public school wastes taxpayer dollars can now be answered, so the questions now become "Just who are these virtual school advocates who call for traditional public school consolidation and advocate for more tax dollars going to charter schools? And who are the "enabling public officials?"...