Colorade public charter schools are growing and their students are performing better amid the pandemic

More parents are exercising public school choice in Colorado, as public charter school enrollment increased over the 2020-2021 school year, even when online charter schools were excluded. This, according to a report from an independent Colorado research organization, the Keystone Policy Center. Students attending Colorado’s charters also outperformed their traditional public school peers on academic assessments.  

“Everything has been massively disrupted, so parents who might not have thought to exercise choice have become more motivated to do so,” said Alex Medler, executive director of the Colorado Association of Charter School Authorizers. Medler also said the report also showed that leaders can and should do more to ensure equitable access to public charter schools in the state.