Charter School Closures Aren’t Slowing Down
Shawgi Tell documents what many families and educators have experienced firsthand: charter school failures and closures are continuing at a steady, irreversible pace. Despite years of warnings, charter schools across the country are still shutting down due to low enrollment, financial mismanagement, and weak oversight. These closures are often abrupt, forcing students and staff to scramble midyear for new schools and support. This instability is not an exception within the charter sector and is in fact a defining feature.
The continued disruptions of charter school closures raises serious questions about who bears the cost of so-called “school choice.” When charters fail, it is students (disproportionately low-income students and students of color) who lose stability, relationships, and access to consistent resources. Meanwhile, traditional public schools are left to acquire displaced students without additional funding or planning. The ongoing pattern of closures challenges the narrative that charters offer a reliable alternative to public schools and underscores the need for stronger accountability, greater transparency, and renewed investment in public education that prioritizes long-term stability over market-driven experimentation.
Irreversible Robust Tempo of Charter School Failures and Closures
By Shawgi Tell | January 6th, 2026 | Network For Public Education
