Giving Compass' Take:

• Kelly Robson explains that despite their controversy in some communities, charter schools can succeed in rural areas with the right assets. 

• Are charter schools a viable option in your community?

• Read more about the discussion surrounding charter schools.

As of the 2017-18 school year, 809 rural charter schools nationwide served approximately 256,000 students. Though that’s only about one-tenth of all charter schools and students nationwide, it represents substantial growth over the last decade. Between 2007 and 2017, the number of charter schools operating in rural communities increased 22 percent and the number of students attending rural charters increased 64 percent.

Many rural communities simply have too few K-12 students to sustain an additional school. Moreover, charter schools can and do affect the enrollment of local school districts and their budgets. Many rural school districts are already struggling with tight budgets and low enrollments. Losing just a few dozen students to a charter school can force a district to close or consolidate schools—a decision that can harm the long-term social and economic viability of a community. These are real concerns, making chartering a non-starter in some places. But they don’t necessarily reflect the context in all rural communities, and there are some places where charters can be a good response to rural education needs.

For our new website, ruralcharterschools.org, my co-authors and I identified four rural charter schools that outperform their local district and statewide averages in reading and math. Despite substantial diversity in the schools’ models and contexts in which they operate, there are three common factors that seem to facilitate their success:

  • The founders, leaders, and/or board members of these schools have deep ties to the local community.
  • These rural charter schools were founded as an explicit remedy to a gap in the community’s education offerings.
  • These rural charter schools maintain consistent leadership and/or engagement with school founders.

When charter schools are successful in rural communities, they have the potential to offer high-quality education options to students whose geographic location may otherwise isolate them from opportunity.

Read the full article about Rural Charter School Success by Kelly Robson at Education Next.