Summary:
California offers families limited school choice options. The state does not support private school choice. But it does allow choice within the public education system.
Public School Choice:
California has enacted both intra-district and inter-district open enrollment policies to facilitate public school choice. The Center for Education Reform reports that California has one of the nation’s strongest charter school laws and a thriving charter school network. As of 2010, nearly 350,000 students attended the state’s 941 public charter schools.
Private School Choice:
California does not offer private school choice.
Online Learning:
The Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning report states that California offers extensive online education opportunities. California provides a state-led program and approximately 70 online charter schools. The University of California Santa Cruz operates the state-funded University of California College Prep (UCCP) program. As of 2011, full-time online charter schools reported at least 15,000 enrollments. California also operates a variety of supplemental and full-time district programs.
More Information:
Click here for detailed information on California's public school system and see below for school choice contacts in California.