Charter schools represented the fastest growing sector of K-12 enrollment in North Carolina last year. New numbers released last week by the state’s Division of Non-Public Education show a 3.2% increase in 2023-24 homeschool enrollment and a 3.5% increase in 2023-24 private school enrollment.
By comparison, charter school enrollment last year–as reported in the News & Observer–grew by 4.9%. (More recent numbers from 2023-24 show charter growth was even higher last year–almost 5.2%.) District school enrollment, however, dropped by 0.4%.
The Coalition followed the News & Observer’s article with a press release highlighting charter growth and popularity. In the release, Lindalyn Kakadelis, the Coalition’s executive director, said:
Public charter schools continue to surge in popularity, complementing traditional public schools by offering innovative curricula enabling students to specialize in certain fields. An additional 85,000 student names are on 2023-24 charter school waitlists. Charter schools are a successful piece of the school choice landscape because of the flexibility afforded them by legislators.
- Read the News & Observer article.
- View the Coalition’s press release.
- Read a new article about school choice in North Carolina from WFAE.
