One quantitative indicator of the need for improvement is the relatively high percentage of students who left charter schools voluntarily during the past school year. On average 8 percent of the students enrolled in charter schools left before June. Student departures ranged from a low of 1 percent to a high of 37 percent. According to parents responding to Pioneer's survey, the biggest problem confronting charter schools is facilities. Most charter schools are located in temporary space that is poorly suited to a comprehensive educational program and inadequate to meet their growth plans.
Many schools also lack access to usable outdoor space or athletic facilities.
The number two problem, according to parents, is management. Parents report that most schools suffered from periodic organizational glitches and gaps during the first year of operation. Many of the complaints involved the management of relations between the board of trustees and the staff and the quality and quantity of communication between the board and the parents. For more information on Massachusetts charter schools, visit the Pioneer Institute Charter School Resource Center .