BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – About half of Alabama’s public charter schools have not met their enrollment projections, according to an analysis shared with the Alabama Public Charter School Commission during its regular meeting Monday afternoon – a shortfall that could create financial problems for some schools.
Having fewer students than expected means finances could become a concern down the road, Logan Searcy, the commission’s executive director, told commissioners. The state-level commission currently oversees 14 charter school operators across Alabama.
Some schools were far below their enrollment goals and may need to take action to adjust their charter contracts, Searcy said.
“If they’re not meeting their contracted projected enrollment, then we need to look at a charter contract amendment to reflect what their plans are,” Searcy said.
“If they’re going to lower their enrollment, we should ask what their financial resources are to ensure that they are giving the best educational options to our students. We want the charter contract to reflect what’s happening at the schools.”
The state-level commission, which serves as a quasi-state agency, is responsible for ensuring the charter schools it has approved are meeting the terms of their contracts. Those contracts spell out everything from projected versus actual enrollment and school capacity to whether schools have enough cash on hand to operate.
Commission finance specialist Doug Riley compiled the enrollment information in the table below. Click here if you’re unable to see the table.
Generally speaking, schools that have been operating longer have been more successful at reaching their enrollment projections.
As charter schools have increased in number, their total sector enrollment has grown, even as the state’s overall public school enrollment – which includes charter schools – has declined over the past decade. Final enrollment numbers, published in November, show a loss of nearly 7,000 students from last year to the current school year.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the current school year’s public school enrollment by sector – charter, virtual, county or city schools – and how student enrollment has shifted away from county schools and toward virtual and charter schools over the past decade. City school enrollment has remained fairly constant during the same period.
Click here if you’re unable to see the chart.
The commission also reviewed student retention numbers – the percentage of students who returned the following year – for each school over the past three years.
For the current school year, those percentages ranged from 64% at the Alabama Aviation and Aerospace High School in Bessemer to 93% at University Charter School in Livingston. Low retention can contribute to enrollment instability, which in turn affects school finances.
Commission President Sheila Austin cautioned commissioners to consider why families are leaving. “It’s more than just the academics of where the children are,” Austin said, pointing to financial pressures such as affordable housing. “There are other circumstances that are causing the shift right now that we’re seeing in the schools and within families.”
Data consultant Tony Thacker, who calculated and presented the information, said the retention data should prompt questions from commissioners.
“I think it’s data that in several instances points to the fact that some of these schools are doing a great job keeping their students in place for a number of reasons,” Thacker said. “Probably primary among those reasons is they’re providing good reasons for students to stay.”
A full report on all charter schools the Commission has approved is available at this link.
Searcy said the review was intended to give the commission a clearer picture of where schools may need support, or where formal action may be required.
“I think this exercise is so we can see what the challenges are, and we can provide support and assistance in meeting those challenges,” Searcy said.
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