rovinchick t1_j9p05hj wrote on February 23, 2023 at 3:34 PM

Reply to comment by AbsentEmpire in Every year, there are more applicants to Philly charters than seats. But demand is still lower than before the pandemic. by AbsentEmpire

Having worked a white collar job for the city with a residency requirement, I can say that the majority of my coworkers applied to charter schools for their kids. If they didn't get in, they sent their kids to private/parochial schools. All that to say some people stay in the city because of their jobs or because they don't have enough saved to make a move to the burbs, and especially in the Northeast, many stay because they have family roots and neighborhood connections, often spanning generations, that they cherish.

I don't think charters keep as many people in the city as they just offer an alternative to families that would otherwise send their kids to private schools. I also think the demand is lower post pandemic because many switched to Catholic schools that were open for in person instruction and never switched back.

Vague_Disclosure t1_j9p6oxz wrote on February 23, 2023 at 4:16 PM

That was my thought after reading the title. Is demand lower because kids are going to public school or is it lower because people who would go to charter schools have already moved or are enrolling in private schools.

animesekaielric t1_j9pcmoe wrote on February 23, 2023 at 4:53 PM

I would imagine it would be that during the housing boom of the pandemic, families with children in the city have traded in their homes in the city for more space in the burbs and into those school districts. The influx of new owners were majority first time home buyers with no family and kids yet. So this may just have been temporary as the city population boons. That being said I don’t have children but I dread sending my child to a school with asbestos, terrible food and no A/C, the public school system needs critical rehabilitation

AbsentEmpire OP t1_j9p2q6d wrote on February 23, 2023 at 3:51 PM

Makes sense, I do remember reading catholic and other private school enrollment spiked during the pandemic because they went back to in person learning as fast as possible while the public schools stayed closed.