In a new publication I co-authored, The State of the Charter Sector, we dug into demographics and enrollment data and found that charter schools are blacker, browner and poorer than traditional public schools. Despite serving only 6 percent of students nationally, charter schools disproportionately serve more black, Latino and low-income students than traditional public schools. The most recent data show that charters serve 12 percent more black students, 6 percent more Hispanic students and 3 percent more low-income students than traditional public schools.
Not only do charter schools serve higher percentages of historically underserved student groups, they also have positive effects on their academic performance. Data analysis shows that black and Latino students who attend urban charter schools experience up to 36 more days of learning than their traditional public school peers.
So when charter schools are producing positive results, especially for students of color, it’s troubling that they face significant funding challenges. Across cities with large charter sectors, charter schools receive an average of $6,000 less per student than traditional public schools.