BASIS Charter School in Arizona is The 21st Century Solution, the title of Bob Compton’s new movie, because it offers a world-class curriculum and it’s affordable, writes the Two Million Minute man.

Our economy simply cannot support massive increases in education spending –we must get creative, entrepreneurial and frugal. BASIS, more than High Tech High, New Tech High or KIPP, meets the test of business scalability and sustainability.

A BASIS school can be started for ~ $150,000, he writes. The school year is a standard 180 days. That keeps the annual cost to $6,500 a student in 5th through 12th grade, well below the national average. Yet the schools offer a strong curriculum taught by “passionate, expert, inspiring teachers” teachers with advanced degrees but typically without certification.  All students go on to “top colleges.”

No new curriculum needs to be developed; no major foundation grants are needed to fund start-up; no corporate contributions are required to sustain the school. This model can be scaled quickly across the country and is affordable to any community.

BASIS runs very challenging, very high-scoring schools in Tucson and Scottsdale.  Most students are white or Asian and come from educated, middle-class families.