CHARTER SCHOOLS APPROACH RECORD GROWTH AS ENROLLMENT DOUBLES OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS; 1 IN 3 STUDENTS IN HARLEM, CENTRAL BROOKLYN, SOUTH BRONX ATTEND CHARTERS
Nearly 100,000 Students Citywide Attend Charters – Larger Count than Many US Urban School Districts; Over 40,000 Students Remain Waitlisted
NEW YORK CITY – One in three students in Harlem, the South Bronx and Central Brooklyn now attend charter schools and enrollment in charters has doubled over the past four years, according to a new report released by the New York City Charter School Center today. This fresh data underscores the position of strength and unprecedented growth that New York’s charter sector has experienced over the past four years. A link to the paper can be found here.
Citywide, the charter sector is now larger than many leading urban school districts nationwide; demand well outpaces supply, as over 40,000 students remain waitlisted. This highlights the undeniable fact that charters are a key foundation of the public education landscape in New York.
“This report shows charter schools are an increasingly significant and growing component in NYC’s public education system,” said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center. "NYC charter schools have consistently shown they are bringing high quality education to long undeserved communities and reversing unacceptable racial and ethnic achievement gaps. As a result, in many neighborhoods a third of the school age population now attends a charter school, sending a strong signal to our elected leaders about the power of giving families choice in public education."
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About the New York City Charter School Center
The New York City Charter School Center is an independent non-profit committed to fostering an environment in which public charters can open and flourish, and, through their innovative approaches, provide models for improving all public schools. The Charter Center helps new charter schools get started, supports existing schools, and engages the charter school community around key issues. Learn more about the New York City Charter School Center at www.nyccharterschools.org.
About NYC’s Charter Schools
Charter schools are free, independently run public schools that are able to innovate in their classroom structures, curriculum, and teaching methods. In return, they’re held to higher standards of accountability. More than 90 percent of the City’s charter school students are African-American or Latino, and over 70 percent are from low-income families. There will be 205 public charter schools serving over 95,000 students in all five boroughs for the 2015-2016 school year.
