Since the first charter school opened its doors in Minnesota in 1991, over 6,700 charter schools have set up shop in 40 states and DC. Unfortunately, not all of these schools have been successful and a number of them have since closed, in fact charter schools have experienced a 15 percent closure rate since their inception.
A recent report by the Center for Education Reform takes a look at why charter schools close and shows that the number one reason (over 40 percent) for charter closure is fiscal mismanagement and financial problems driven by low enrollment numbers. Other issues such as ethical violations make up 24 percent of charter closures. Furthermore, academic failure makes up 19 percent of all closures. While academic performance is extremely important, schools tend to close for money problems rather than academic ones. Ohio is no stranger to the challenges of ensuring charter schools deliver results while ensuring they function well as businesses. This report is a useful read for Ohioans interested in better charters.
