Erica Green of the Baltimore Sun reports that eight of the Baltimore City’s highest performing charter schools have sued Baltimore City over its recently revised funding formula.  These schools enroll 3,600 of the city’s 13,700 kids that attend charters.

The new formula provides charters with about $9,300 per student with the school system spending about $13,000 a pupil.  The problem with the change is that 26 of the Baltimore City’s 34 charters would receive drastically less money under the plan.

One interesting point Ms. Green makes in her story is that in Baltimore City charters by law must receive cash in lieu of services that the central office provides to traditional schools that they don’t receive.  Perhaps this is a solution to D.C.’s charter school funding inequity problem.

The charters are seeking $75,000 as a remedy.

Meanwhile, Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Black has asked University of Baltimore president and former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke to mediate the revenue dispute.  If he is successful there, perhaps he could just come down to D.C.