Just as school districts are trying to make charter schools more accountable for the money they already get, Florida Attorney General Charlie Crist is lobbying to give them even more money. Mr. Crist issued an advisory opinion claiming that districts have to give charter schools the same amount of money they give traditional public schools.

The opinion isn't binding, which is just as well since it's blatantly political. It was issued at the request of Al Cardenas, former head of the state Republican Party and now a lobbyist for charter schools. When Mr. Crist was running for attorney general in 2002, Mr. Cardenas stuck up for him when another GOP candidate noted that Mr. Crist twice failed the bar exam and had accepted contributions from a company that the attorney general's office was investigating.
In particular, charter schools want districts to give them money for capital facilities in addition to operating cash. They shouldn't get an increase in capital funds at all — flexibility to rent space in strip malls or other nontraditional sites was supposed to make them more efficient. But they certainly shouldn't get more money until districts can rein in abuses such as those Palm Beach County uncovered.

For example, the principal of a failed charter school paid himself a finder's fee for securing a school site. Another charter school shut down in debt and with equipment unaccounted for. A report this year showed that 30 percent of Florida's charter schools ended the 2003 year in debt.

Academically, charter schools' results are mixed, with various studies showing them doing better or worse than traditional schools. All the studies are open to methodological questions.

The Palm Beach district, which says it already gives charter schools an equal share of money, is taking steps to weed out charter schools that don't perform academically or financially. Many charter schools had avoided FCAT grades, claiming they had too few students. That loophole is being closed — as will charters that earn two consecutive F's. The district also will keep tighter control of school equipment and make charter employees abide by the district's ethics code.

Accountability slowly is coming to charter schools. More money shouldn't come more quickly.