More Charters A ‘Complete Assault On Public School System’? Not Quite

The state of Michigan will have 293 charter schools this school year, according to the Michigan Association of Public School Academies.

The last seven years has seen a net loss of five charter schools in Michigan. There were 298 charter schools in 2013-14.

In 2011-12, the Legislature lifted a cap on how many charter schools could open in the state. There were 256 charters here at the time.

The decrease of the number of charters over the last seven years puts to rest a fear charter school critics had when the cap was lifted in 2011.

Then-Rep. Kate Segal, D-Battle Creek, called the passage of the bill “a complete assault on our public school system in Michigan,” in a 2011 Huffington Post article.

“Senate Bill 618 unfortunately benefits for-profit charter schools at the expense of our public schools and their students,” she said at that time. “Removing the cap will allow an unlimited number of for-profit schools to open in whatever community they choose and put students at risk.”