Governor Schwarzenegger Applauds Growth of Charter Schools and Enrollment in California

Press Release

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following statement today after the California Charter Schools Association announced that 88 new public charter schools have opened this fall and enrollment has increased by approximately 56,000 students -- the largest single-year enrollment increase in history:

"As a strong supporter of charter schools I couldn't be happier to learn that enrollment is breaking records and the number of schools is steadily increasing. Charter schools have proven that their innovative teaching practices are helping California students receive the quality education they deserve and that is why I am working to lift the cap on charter schools entirely -- so that parents up and down the state have the option to send their children to a high-quality charter school."

According to the California Charter Schools Association, the total number of charter schools in operation in California has now reached 809 with an enrollment of approximately 341,000 students -- an increase of over 100,000 students since 2005.

Under Governor Schwarzenegger's leadership the number of charter schools in California has increased steadily -- from 382 in 2003-04 to 809 today. The Governor is also fighting to lift the current cap on the number of charter schools allowed in the state entirely with his legislative package to make California eligible and highly competitive for $4.35 billion in competitive federal Race to the Top funds.

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