Texas: BASIS Charter School Sells “VIP Car Line” for $2500+ a Pop
BASIS Austin, a grade 3 – 8 charter school and part of the multi-state BASIS charter school network that includes BASIS Texas Charter Schools, has decided to try to raise money by selling “VIP car line access start[ing] at $2500.”
Oh, and if you are part of a carpool, each carpool family would need to pony up $2,500 to qualify for VIP status. (If you are carpooling more for convenience and less for financial need, this Bud’s for you!)
Unless students walk to school or ride bicycles, their transportation likely involves the car line.
BASIS Charter Schools do not provide transportation. (But they do encourage carpool opportunities that will cost quite the fee for VIP car line status, mind you.)
According to the 2022-23 BASIS Austin School Brochure, parents are on their own to get their children to and from BASIS Charter Schools (page 19):
Therefore, it is logical to conclude that this self-gratulatory, “public” charter school, “#1 Texas School District” enrolls no students who require transportation provided by a school or district.
How very “public school” of them.
I learned of this BASIS Austin “VIP car line” fundraiser originally on Twitter /X from a tweet by Network for Public Education (NPE) executive director, Carol Burris:
The posting below of the same news is from Redditt:
The individual identified above as having sent this message to BASIS Austin families is Roberto Ramirez, identified on the BASIS Austin website as “head of school.” However, according to Ramirez’s LinkedIn bio, in July 2022, he moved on from head of school and now holds the title of “Vice President, Development and Philanthropic Partnerships” for all of BASIS Texas Charter Schools, Inc.
Ramirez’s own postsecondary education is in economics, business administration, and he holds a Harvard Graduate School of Education “certificate” in school management and leadership.
In his LinkedIn bio, Ramirez writes that he is “passionate about student achievement and giving students access to a free, high-quality education without the barrier of tuition, entry exam, or a particular zip code.”
Removing the barrier of transportation did not make the cut, but using the Haves for their VIP-level money apparently does.
_____________________________
Want to sharpen your digital research skills? I have a book for that! See my latest, A Practical Guide to Digital Research: Getting the Facts and Rejecting the Lies, available for purchase on Amazon and via Garn Press!
deutsch29: Mercedes Schneider's Blog 
I had a little back and forth on twitter about this terrible practice, wondering if there was any parent input into which teachers (if any!) would receive bonus payments. Someone posted this link about a similar fundraiser at a public high school:
*In a fundraiser marketed toward parents of students “frustrated” with school parking options, a Texas parent teacher organization placed three parking spots on the market. “Are your students complaining that there is nowhere to park? Are they tired of getting parking tickets?” the organization asked. “Support the Westlake High PTO by purchasing a parking spot for your student!” Two of the parking spaces were put up for auction with $5,000 starting bids. All following bids must increase by at least $100, and the spots will go to the highest bidder after the auction closes on Sept. 22.*
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article266063791.html
While this is a bit different, as it’s a PTO fundraiser and not from the administration, it still is an abominal practice. But one assumes an Austin public school must provide also transportation for its students
Obviously, not a large economically struggling population. $5,000! to park their Land Rovers?