Rural Charters are the Fastest Growing Segment of Public Charter Schools

Contrary to popular media coverage, which often focuses on the dramatic academic gains made in high performing urban charter schools, there is a little known truth about growth trends in the public charter school sector. While many great public charter schools are located in cities, charter schools are by no means an urban phenomenon.

You might be surprised to learn that rural charter schools are actually the fastest growing segment of the public charter school sector. In fact, nearly half of all charter schools are found outside city limits.  And nearly 20 percent of all charter schools are in rural areas. 

In response to the growth of rural charter schools, the Alliance released two reports today that provide a deeper look at this trend. Our new issue brief, Beyond City Limits: Expanding Public Charter Schools in Rural America, examines challenges that rural schools may face and profiles four rural charter schools that use creative approaches to meet the needs of the families and communities they serve. The flexibility that is a core part of the charter school model can present unique opportunities for rural communities as they navigate complex funding, human capital, and transportation questions.

The second publication is the latest installment in our Details from the Dashboard series. The new report analyzes charter schools statistics based on geographic region–including the growth of charter schools in all four areas (city, suburb, town, rural) compared with traditional public schools—as well as breakouts by charter management organization, authorizer, and union status.

And if you’re still hungry for more geographic information about charter schools, check out this blog–especially the graphical displays. 

Table 1: Number of Schools and Students by Geographic Region