COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio Department of Education statistics show the number of charter schools in the state dropped in 2016 for the third straight year, and the number of students attending the schools also decreased.
The Columbus Dispatch reports (https://bit.ly/2iK0fS6 ) the department’s charter directory lists 362 charters, which is down 8.4 percent from its peak of 395 in the 2013-14 school year.
The agency’s Annual Report on Community Schools shows the number of charter students is down from its peak of 120,893 full-time-equivalent students in the 2013-14 school year to 117,126 last school year.
Experts say changes in state law designed to weed out low-quality charters are likely contributing to the slowdown in charter growth.
A $71 million federal startup grant for charters soon will be available.
___
Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, https://www.dispatch.com
Please read our comment policy before commenting.