Nov. 5, 2009 6:30 a.m.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Youngstown ranks No. 6 in the nation for public charter school market share with 26% of public school students attending charter schools, according to a report from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Washington.##M:[MORE]##

Demand for charter schools remains strongest in urban areas, and as a result, charter "market share" is growing rapidly in cities and adjacent suburbs, even while the overall number of students remains a modest portion of nationwide enrollment, the report found.

"Charter schools are working at scale in a growing number of American cities," according to Nelson Smith, CEO of the alliance. "Chartering is becoming well-established as a key component of the public education delivery system."

The Top 10 largest market share public charter school communities (including ties) are: New Orleans, (57%); Washington, D.C., (36%); Detroit (32%); Kansas City, Mo., (29%); Dayton (27%); Youngstown (26%); St. Louis (25%); Flint, Mich. (24% ); Gary, Ind. (23%); Phoenix Union High School District, (22%); and Minneapolis, (22%).

Other report findings include:

•There are 14 communities in which more than 20% of public school students are enrolled in charters, up from six in 2005-2006. Seventy-two communities now have at least 10% of public school students in charter schools, 27 more than three years ago.

•The 10 districts with the largest number of students in public charter schools represent 22% of the total public charter school population nationwide, a total of 304,494 students out of roughly 1.4 million.

•Public charter school market share breaks 30% of students in Detroit (at 32%), Washington, D.C. (36%), and New Orleans (57%).

•Not only are charters in New Orleans serving a higher percentage of public school students -- 57% -- than anywhere else in the nation, they are also the highest performing sector of public schools in the city. More importantly, the city's public schools as a whole are outperforming the pre-Katrina system.

•The Top 10 communities with the greatest number of students enrolled in public charter schools are Los Angeles, (59,122), Detroit, (43,035), Philadelphia, (32,579), Houston, (29,889), Chicago, (28,973), Washington, D.C., (25,729), Miami-Dade County, Fla., (23,865), New York City, (21,367), New Orleans, (20,068) and Broward County, Fla., (19,867).

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is a national nonprofit organization committed to advancing the charter school movement.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio