Characteristics of charter schools School reformers often call for small schools as ways to effect change and produce improved student learning. Most charter schools are small and newly created, which ultimately may be the most important aspect of the charter movement, regardless of the exact nature of their educational program. Most charter schools are small, particularly compared to other public schools. Charter schools have an estimated median enrollment of about 150 students, whereas other public schools in the charter states have a median enrollment of about 500 students. More than 60 percent of charter schools enroll fewer than 200 students, whereas only about 16 percent of other public schools have fewer than 200 students.
Many charter schools have nontraditional grade configurations.
Charter schools include a higher proportion of K 12, K 8, and ungraded schools than other public schools. Most newly created charter schools are smaller than preexisting public schools converted to charter status. The median school size for newly created schools is 116 students, compared to a median of more than 380 students for preexisting public schools. About two-thirds of preexisting charter schools were previously public schools. Sixty-five percent of preexisting schools were previously public schools.