Buffalo teachers union boss Phil Rumore slammed the state's funding formula for schools yesterday, saying the gap between what is spent on rich and poor students is "immoral and reprehensible."

"Millions of poor and children of color are the victims of an educational funding system that is not only the most discriminatory in the nation but is a vicious attack on their future," said Rumore, who called for a redistribution of wealth by the state.

Rumore might start with redistributing some of the wealth to charter schools. Charters receive a fraction of what traditional public schools get for each student. Even more to the point: 76% of the state's charter school students live in poverty, versus 67% for the rest of the state (based on free and reduced price lunch criteria.) A majority of the charter schools statewide are located in neighborhoods that Rumore would likely consider "poor."

Not increasing funding for charters might even be considered "a vicious attack" on public charter students' futures.