Enrollment
Page created Sep 2013
Acknowledgment: This page is heavily based on data from the Perimeter Primate blogger (link) who performed the Herculean task of looking up enrollment numbers for 134 schools.
STATE |
NUMBER OF STUDENTS 2012-13 |
TEXAS |
26369 |
OHIO |
6547 |
CALIFORNIA |
3875 |
FLORIDA |
2500 |
NEW JERSEY |
2493 |
ARIZONA |
2483 |
NEVADA |
2176 |
OKLAHOMA |
1631 |
MISSOURI |
1614 |
NEW YORK |
1391 |
ARKANSAS |
1292 |
INDIANA |
1060 |
MARYLAND |
909 |
ILLINOIS |
878 |
NORTH CAROLINA |
873 |
GEORGIA |
817 |
COLORADO |
775 |
PENNSYLVANIA |
731 |
MASSACHUSETTS |
693 |
LOUISIANA |
521 |
MICHIGAN |
441 |
MINNESOTA |
329 |
NEW MEXICO |
316 |
TENNESSEE |
292 |
WISCONSIN |
238 |
UTAH |
229 |
TOTAL USA |
61473 |
Notes: Most numbers were obtained from the Perimeter Primate page (link), but a few modifications were made. Enrollment counts for Harmony Science Academy Laredo (734 students) and School of Science and Technology Corpus Christi (494 students) were found using the "AskTED" report creator of the Texas Education Agency.
Discussion
In 2011-12, the total enrollment was 52,429 students. Enrollment increased 17% in 2012-13.
Not all states experienced large enrollment increases from 2011-12 to 2012-13. Some even had decreases. (A table ranking percent changes by state will be on this webpage soon.) Enrollment in some states is projected to increase significantly into 2013-14. For example, the "North Jersey Arts and Science Charter Schools" network, including Bergen/Passaic Arts and Science Charter Schools and the new Paterson Arts and Science Charter School (opened fall 2013) has projected enrollment of 1720 students in 2013-14, up from 1080 in 2012-13.
It is no accident that the states with highest enrollment - Texas, Ohio, California, Florida, New Jersey and Arizona - all have either state-level or alternative charter school authorizers. This wrests control of charter schools away from the local community, and allows much more politicization of the process, i.e., more influence peddling. Gulen charter school founders and operators are finding continued success in such states, while in other states where local school districts are the authorizers, new schools are much less likely to be approved because of concerns about abuses. Another difference is that local (school district) authorizers usually give far more opportunities for input from the community.
Some graphs showing growth of enrollment of Gulen charter schools can also be found at this page (which dates from Feb 2011).
In 2011-12, the total enrollment was 52,429 students. Enrollment increased 17% in 2012-13.
Not all states experienced large enrollment increases from 2011-12 to 2012-13. Some even had decreases. (A table ranking percent changes by state will be on this webpage soon.) Enrollment in some states is projected to increase significantly into 2013-14. For example, the "North Jersey Arts and Science Charter Schools" network, including Bergen/Passaic Arts and Science Charter Schools and the new Paterson Arts and Science Charter School (opened fall 2013) has projected enrollment of 1720 students in 2013-14, up from 1080 in 2012-13.
It is no accident that the states with highest enrollment - Texas, Ohio, California, Florida, New Jersey and Arizona - all have either state-level or alternative charter school authorizers. This wrests control of charter schools away from the local community, and allows much more politicization of the process, i.e., more influence peddling. Gulen charter school founders and operators are finding continued success in such states, while in other states where local school districts are the authorizers, new schools are much less likely to be approved because of concerns about abuses. Another difference is that local (school district) authorizers usually give far more opportunities for input from the community.
Some graphs showing growth of enrollment of Gulen charter schools can also be found at this page (which dates from Feb 2011).