Oct 25, 2024, 10:05 AM CST
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Wisconsin has one of the higher closure rates in the U.S. for charter schools, according to a new report, which lays out the challenges of staying open.
Charter schools, which receive public funding but are often run by private entities, are billed as alternative learning environments for families who feel they need more options. But the new findings show nationally, more than a quarter of them close by year five, with rates worsening over time. Wisconsin is among the states with a closure rate of at least 45%.
Jenni Hofschulte, southeast Wisconsin representative for the Wisconsin Public Education Network, said families enrolled are left scrambling when a charter school abruptly closes.
“That’s 45% of those families put into a lurch and having to make pivots and new choices for their children,” Hofschulte pointed out.
She noted traditional public schools are happy to welcome these students back but added local districts often have to move quickly to place them. The report from the National Center for Charter School Accountability cited low enrollment, along with fraud and mismanagement as the top factors behind the closures. Backers of charters said despite such issues, the schools are sometimes still the best options in underserved areas.
Hofschulte acknowledged some families might be happy with their charter school but argued the push to authorize the sites over time ignores the root issues hindering educational outcomes.
“When you look at student outcomes, like, poverty plays the biggest role in it,” Hofschulte explained. “But we’re not talking about how to address poverty in communities. We’re saying, ‘Well, it must be the public school system. So, we’ll do this other thing. You know, a charter will be better.'”
The Milwaukee Public School system recently dealt with a financial scandal. Hofschulte stressed it should not be taken lightly but suggested the examples are scrutinized more than the shortcomings of charter schools. According to state data, Wisconsin currently has 226 charter schools in operation.
This article originally appeared on Wisconsin News Connection, a division of Public News Service.
Disclosure: The Network for Public Education contributes to Public News Service’s fund for reporting on Early Childhood Education, and Education. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
