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Charter school enrollment rising

kakisky
/
MorgueFile

The number of Michigan students who attend charter schools is rising. 

There are 277 charter schools in Michigan, and that number could grow.

Dan Quisenberry is president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies.

He says five Michigan cities now rank in the top 20 for the percentage of students enrolled in charter schools.

"No. 2 is Detroit, with 41% of the students that rank in the top 20 nationally. No. 4 is Flint; No. 9 is Grand Rapids, No. 19 is Lansing and No. 20 is Traverse City," Quisenberry says. "We know kids are all different. It's not about this school being good or bad, it's about the fact that parents want flexibility."

The trend toward charter schools in Michigan began about 18 years ago, according to Quisenberry, who says charter schools are now also reaching some rural areas through online learning.

The full report from The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is available at  publiccharters.org/