Charter Schools' 'Market Share' Growing

Exceeds 20% in 14 Communities

Washington, D.C. - Public charter schools’ presence in K-12 schooling continues to grow, according to the latest Top 10 Charter Communities by Market Share report by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. In fact, charters now enroll more than one in five public school students in 14 communities, including major cities like Detroit, St. Louis, and Kansas City.

Demand remains strongest in urban areas, and as a result, charter “market share” is growing rapidly in cities and adjacent suburbs, even while the overall number of students remains a modest portion of nationwide enrollment.

"Charter schools are working at scale in a growing number of American cities," according to Nelson Smith, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. "Chartering is becoming well-established as a key component of the public education delivery system," he added.

The report finds:

• Charter Growth Remains Strong: There are 14 communities where more than 20% of public school students are enrolled in charters, up from six in 2005-06. 72 communities now have at least 10% of public school students in charter schools, 27 more than three years ago.
• 10 Districts Enroll 22% of Charter Students: The 10 districts with the largest number of students in public charter schools represent 22% of the total public charter school population nationwide, a total of 304,494 students out of roughly 1.4 million in 2008-09.
• More than 1/3 of Public School Students in Charters in Three Cities: Public charter school market share breaks 30% of students in Detroit (at 32%), Washington, D.C. (36%), and New Orleans (57%).
• New Orleans Remains at #1 in Market Share Percentage: Not only are charters in New Orleans serving a higher percentage of public school students - 57% - than anywhere else in the nation, they are also the highest performing sector of public schools in the city. More importantly, the city’s public schools as a whole are outperforming the pre-Katrina system.

"In a city like Washington D.C., which has the second highest market share of charter enrollment, the number of students choosing charters is impressive," said Anna Nicotera, Director of Research and Evaluation for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools." Audited D.C. public charter school enrollment has jumped by eleven percentage points from 25% in (2005-06) to 36% in (2008-09)."

The "Top 10" largest market share public charter school communities (including ties) are: New Orleans, LA (57%); Washington, D.C. (36%); Detroit, MI (32%); Kansas City, MO (29%); Dayton, OH (27%); Youngstown, OH (26%); St. Louis, MO (25%); Flint, MI (24%); Gary, IN (23%); Phoenix Union High School District, AZ (22%); and Minneapolis, MN (22%).

The "Top 10" communities with the greatest number of students enrolled in public charter schools are: Los Angeles, CA (59,122), Detroit, MI (43,035), Philadelphia, PA (32,579), Houston, TX (29,889), Chicago, IL (28,973), Washington, D.C. (25,729), Miami-Dade County, FL (23,865), New York City, NY (21,367), New Orleans, LA (20,068), and Broward County, FL (19,867).

Download a copy of the report at publiccharters.org. To see charter school market share data by state, visit the Public Charter Schools Dashboard.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (http://www.publiccharters.org/Marekt_Share_09) is the national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement. The Alliance works to increase the number of high performing charter schools available to all families, particularly low-income and minority families who currently do not have access to quality public schools. Today, more than 1.5 million students attend over 4,900 charter schools in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

Contact: Sarah Johnson
202-521-2826, pressroom@publiccharters.org