26 Years of NYC Charter Schools
New York City’s charter schools have shaped the lives of a generation of students! Since the City’s first public charter school opened in Harlem in 1999, the sector has grown to 285 charters spread across approximately 420 campuses in all five boroughs.
The proliferation of charter schools has been steady; New Yorkers want high quality public school choices. Boasting achievement that surpasses their district school counterparts, charter school students – now more than 150,000 – and their families, are committed to these neighborhood schools.
Even as the cap on the number of charters that can open in NYC has been reached, charter schools continue to grow, expanding grade levels, developing Pre-K programs and seeking innovative partnerships. Advocates are working to remove the arbitrary cap on the number of high-quality public schools!
25 years of NYC
charter schools
“You can’t get ‘one size fits all’ and think that every child is going to be successful. That’s why the charter school movement is so important here in New York City.”
Geofrey Canada, President, Harlem Children’s Zone & Promise Academy Charter Schools
More than
37,000
students have graduated from NYC charter schools in the past 15 years.*
(estimated based on public enrollment data)
For the last 15 years, approximately
80%
of the students served in NYC charter schools are economically disadvantaged— higher than the citywide average of district schools (72%).
Testing data over the past
8 years
show that charter school students of color have consistently achieved higher proficiency rates than their district counterparts.
Charter Leaders
NYC Charters in Action
