Document Type
Report
Publication Date
11-2023
Keywords
return on investment (ROI), efficiency, funding, budgets
Abstract
Charter schools are public schools that operate free from some government regulations in return for a commitment to achieve a set of student outcomes specified in their charter. Nearly 8,000 public charter schools enrolled 3.7 million students in the U.S. in 2020-21. Our team has studied charter school funding across the United States since 2005, consistently finding that, in major cities, charter schools receive less funding per pupil compared to traditional public schools (TPS). We have also found that charter schools use their funding more efficiently, achieving better short- and long-term outcomes per dollar invested, relative to TPS.
Citation
Johnson, A. H., McGee, J. B., Wolf, P. J., May, J. F., & Maloney, L. D. (2023). Still a Good Investment: Charter School Productivity in Nine Cities. School Choice Demonstration Project. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/scdp/89