Policy

Charter Schools Swamped by Demand, Waiting Lists

People want to escape from traditional schools

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There are 6,000 charter schools nationwide, more than 1,000 in California and upwards of 250 in Los Angeles.

It turns out, that's not enough.

A report released Thursday by the National Alliance for Public Schools estimates that 520,000 students nationwide are on a charter school waiting list, including 50,000 kids in California hoping for a spot.

And more than 15,000 students are wait-listed for seats in Los Angeles Unified, which already has a charter enrollment of 100,000—the most of any district in the country.