Districts that responded energetically to competition from charter schools tended to have leaders already looking for ways to improve. Chula Vista's Gil agrees. Rofes' study found less than half the districts saw a major financial impact from charters. Typically, those were small or rural districts that suffered when charters lured away a measurable share of their students - and the funding for them. But the majority of districts saw little impact.
Many districts sprouting charters have to accommodate growing student populations.
New charter schools tend to be small - and larger ones are typically ''converted'' from existing public schools. A Cresting Wave on CER's page About Charter Schools .