79,000 applications were submitted for charter school seats in NYC for this coming school year with The Bronx leading topping the list with 27,020 applications submitted for just 6,969 available seats.
Advocates for charter schools insist that the demand is proof that caps on such schools need to be eliminated to accommodate the demand.
“With the number of applicants hitting another record high, there is no doubt that demand for public charter schools is growing,” said Charter Center CEO James Merriman.
“Ninety-seven percent of charter schools do not have enough seats to accommodate demand,” the report stated. “About nine out of 10 charter schools reported having waitlists that are at least twice the number of available seats.”
There were roughly four applicants per seat in the South Bronx and Harlem, with 30,418 applications for 7,819 spots, according to the report.
“These numbers should send a clear signal to every policy maker in the state that parents want great public-school options,” Merriman said. “We must eliminate the cap on charter schools now.”
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