Charter School Numbers Increasing

According to the Associated Press, enrollment in charter schools increased by 200,000 students last year and now tops 2 million.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools produced the report that said that in some major cities, charter schools have a major share of the market. Seventy-six percent of students in the New Orleans Public School System are enrolled in charters. It’s 41 percent in Detroit and the District of Columbia.

Los Angeles has the most students in charter schools, with more than 98,000 enrolled. NAPCS President Nina Rees says rising rates in smaller cities like Youngstown, Ohio and Duluth, Minnesota show the movement is broadening beyond major urban areas.

Charter schools receive public funds but are independent alternatives to public schools.