The Impact of Charter School Expansion on Traditional Public School Districts: Evidence From Texas

• In Event: Mapping the Landscape of School Choice: Vouchers, Education Management Organizations, Charter Management Organizations, and Diverse Charters

Abstract

Though the charter sector has rapidly expanded over the past quarter century, there is little consensus on its effects on traditional public school districts (TPSDs). Using publicly available panel data from Texas from 1994 to 2017, this study uses a two-way fixed effects model to estimate the impact of the expansion of the charter sector on TPSD composition, performance, and expenditures. Preliminary results suggest that an expanding charter sector is associated with TPSDs serving a higher proportion of FRPL and non-white students, spending more on instruction, and receiving a higher proportion of their funding from federal sources. Charter expansion is also associated with a significant, though small in magnitude, increase in the percentage of TPSD students passing standardized assessments.

Author

• Lauren Covelli, Vanderbilt University