Charter Saturation and Educational Displacement: Unpacking the Impact on a Suburban Public School System

• In Event: Opportunity and Outcomes in School Choice Contexts

Abstract

This paper examines the consequences of charter school expansion in a racially and economically minoritized suburban community. Drawing on in-depth interviews with educators and administrators as well as quantitative data, this study highlights how charter school saturation in a geographically small district results in intensified inequities, school defunding, and the displacement of high-needs students. While charter schools claim neutrality in enrollment, evidence suggests practices of cream-skimming and exclusion. Public schools are left with disproportionate concentrations of students with disabilities, English language learners, and under-credited transfer students. We argue that unchecked charter growth in such contexts threatens to erase the role of public education in serving all students equitably, demanding a re-visioning of educational policy grounded in justice and accountability.

Authors

• Marilyn M. DePietto, Hofstra University

• Amy Catalano, Hofstra University