What are some statistics about charter schools that you should know?
More parents than ever before are choosing charter schools over traditional public schools to give their children more freedom and a great education. In fact, many educators have been surprised by several charter school statistics over the last decade or so.
Since this trend shows no sign of stopping, we’d like to go over some of the statistics along with a few simple facts that may help you decide to enroll your children in a local charter school and optimize their learning potential.
Interesting Charter School Statistics
Several studies have examined charter school statistics in recent years with very positive results. The National Center for Education, for example, looked at public charter schools in the United States between the school years of 2009-10 and 2019-20 and discovered these exciting tidbits during this 10-year period:
- The number of schools increased from 5,000 to 7,500
- Enrollment more than doubled from 1.6 million students to 3.4 million
- The percentages of schools with 300–499, 500–999, and 1,000+ students each increased
In addition to these exciting charter school statistics, here are some other stats for 2022 to consider:
- 44 states have charter laws
- 3.7 million students attend charter schools
- $440 million in federal CSP funds for charter schools
- 7,800 charter schools and campuses nationwide
- 205,600 charter school teachers
As you can see from these statistics, charter schools are being chosen by many parents as a wonderful way to educate their children. With more charter schools opening every year and an increase in parents and students wanting more flexibility, there’s no doubt that these charter school statistics will be even better over the next decade.
Facts About Charter Schools You Might Not Know
Charter school statistics have shown that parents and teachers are dedicated to providing the very best educational opportunities. To give you an even better understanding, check out these facts about charter schools that you might not be aware of:
Operate According to a “Charter”
Whereas traditional public schools are primarily created by a state or local district, charter schools are set up through a “charter.” This legal contract often exempts the school from certain regulations that public schools must abide by, binding them instead to the charter’s terms. If a charter school fails to meet these terms, including specific education benchmarks, the school may be shut down.
They Have Open Submission
Like other publicly funded schools, a charter school isn’t permitted to discriminate against children based on race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or disability. Where a charter school goes a step above and beyond is that they have an open submission policy that doesn’t restrict them to a specific district.
This means that anyone is able to apply, at least within reason, even if they live outside of the traditional school district where the charter school is located.
There are no tuition fees
Many people are under the false impression that charter schools require tuition in the same way that private schools do. Although charter schools are different from traditional schools, one big similarity is that children can attend at little or no cost. This is a huge relief to parents who are in search of finding an alternative to a state institution.
Fewer Students Per Classrooms
A huge benefit of charter schools is that there are fewer students per classroom. Having fewer students means that each child can be given more attention, which they often desperately need. This is why parents who have kids with learning disabilities or other types of challenges will often pick a charter school over a public school.
Features Customized Curriculum
Although charter schools are governed by educational benchmarks, the way they reach many of those benchmarks has flexibility. This allows them to have more autonomy and control over their curriculum. One of the first things you may notice about a charter school is that their curriculum can be customized.
Contact Horizon Charter for More Information about Charter School Statistics
As the leading public charter school in Hillsborough and Tampa, Horizon Charter School knows what it takes to help students get a wonderful education. If you have any questions about charter school statistics or would like to take a tour of our campus, reach out to us at (813) 887-3800 today.
