Caps on Charter Schools
"...That leads me to the fourth part of America’s education strategy – promoting innovation and excellence in America’s schools. One of the places where much of that innovation occurs is in our most effective charter schools... Right now, there are caps on how many charter schools are allowed in some states, no matter how well they are preparing our students. That isn’t good for our children, our economy, or our country. Of course, any expansion of charter schools must not result in the spread of mediocrity, but in the advancement of excellence. That will require states adopting both a rigorous selection and review process to ensure that a charter school’s autonomy is coupled with greater accountability – as well as a strategy, like the one in Chicago, to close charter schools that are not working. Provided this greater accountability, I call on states to reform their charter rules, and lift caps on the number of allowable charter schools, wherever such caps are in place."
President Barack Obama
March 10, 2009
Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have some type of limit, or cap, on charter school growth. Most caps restrict the number of charter schools allowed, while others restrict the number of students that a single school can serve.
Caps on charter schools are often the consequence of political trade-offs, and not the result of agreement on sound education policy. For example, frequently policy-makers, concerned about how charter schools may affect an established school district, will mandate restrictions on the number of public charter schools in that specific district.
But the demand for charter schools shows no signs of letting up. An estimated 365,000 students are on charter school wait lists. This is enough to fill over 1,100 new average-sized charter schools. More than half of all charter schools across the country report they have a wait list, with the problem particularly acute in Pennsylvania (27,000), Colorado (25,000), Massachusetts (16,000), New York (12,000) and Illinois (10,000). If this demand is to be met, states must reform or eliminate their caps on charter schools, while continuing to utilize appropriate measures ensuring that new charter schools are of high quality.
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