Abstract

My research asks: Are charter schools benefiting low-income students, and are they equally accessible to these students? This research will describe processes by which students learn about, are chosen for, and travel to charter schools, in a medium sized (24,000 student) urban school district in the Midwest. Evidence has shown that charter schools contribute to segregation within low-income school districts, though these schools were intended to give equal opportunities. Transportation, housing, and admission policies create conditions leading charter schools to have fewer low-income students than public schools. Charter schools create their own admissions policies, which unintentionally cause more segregation. Housing becomes problematic when charter schools are placed in areas of wealth making them appear better and easier to access to the upper classes. Transportation, housing and admission policies rely on one another to successfully integrate schools. When one or several of these aspects fall short of expectations, unintentional segregation appears. Information includes schools’ publicly available data, observations, school report cards, student and parent interviews, and self conducted interviews from staff and administration belonging to both charter schools and public schools in low-income areas. Adjusting the system and funding allocations can better assist the issues within segregation that follow when limiting transportation, housing, and admissions. This research proves the negative effects of limitations on transportation, housing, and admissions that contribute to segregation in low-income charter schools.