Detroit Ranks #3 and Flint Ranks #9 in Top Ten of Public Charter School Communities by Market Share

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Detroit ranks #3 and Flint ranks #9 in the nation for public charter school market share with 32 percent and 24 percent of public school students attending charter schools, according to the annual Top 10 Charter Communities by Market Share report released by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools today. Detroit also is the second largest public charter school community by student enrollment with 43,035 students in public charter schools.

"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 percent of public school students are enrolled in charters, up from six in 2005-06. 72 communities now have at least 10 percent of public school students in charter schools, 27 more than three years ago.
• 10 Districts Enroll 22 Percent of Charter Students: The 10 districts with the largest number of students in public charter schools represent 22 percent of the total public charter school population nationwide, a total of 304,494 students out of roughly 1.4 million.
• More than 1/3 of Public School Students in Charters in Three Cities: Public charter school market share breaks 30 percent of students in Detroit (at 32 percent), Washington, D.C. (36 percent), and New Orleans (57 percent).
• 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 percent - 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.
  

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

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).

To see charter school market share data by state, visit the Public Charter Schools Dashboard at http://www.publiccharters.org/dashboard/students/.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (www.publiccharters.org) 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, over 1.5 million students attend more than 4,900 charter schools in 39 states and the District of Columbia.