Reply #21: I can answer some of those off the top of my head.

[Greyskye]

The charter school doesn't 'cherry pick'. There is an open lottery for openings, with the only preferences going to kids who already have siblings in the charter. The waiting list to get in is the same size as the school population.

Parental involvement is high at the charter school - I don't know about the other. I assume it's standard for traditional public schools, meaning minimal parental involvement. :shrug:

I think that there are probably more special education students at the charter school. This is where the kids go that don't quite 'fit' in the traditional public school. I know of quite a few students at the charter who are under IEP's for ADHD, autism, sensory integration issues, etc. There is a special education person on staff.

This is a rural area, with not a larger percentage of ESL students. I know that there are some at the charter, but have no clue how the number compares with the other school.

The only real difference in demographics between the two schools, is that some parents in the area made an effort to enroll their kids in the charter school.

I'll run this by my wife, who happens to be a teacher, when she gets home. I'll make corrections and additions then.

Thanks for the civil dialog. :hi: