Republished from the St. Louis Business Journal –

The recent St. Louis Business Journal opinion piece criticizing public, yes public, charter schools overlooks the most important voice in this discussion: families.

If charter schools were failing St. Louis students, parents would stop choosing them. Instead, demand continues to far exceed supply and Missourians welcome the choice – the choice with their money, for their children.

During its first year, SchoolAppSTL, a common enrollment application utilized by many charter schools and available to all, received 7,535 applications for just 2,159 available seats. Student demand exceeded available seats in nearly every grade level, and more than half of applicants came from low- and very-low-income ZIP codes.

This demand is not new. Over the past decade, enrollment in St. Louis public charter schools has grown from approximately 10,800 students to 13,000 students, even as the city of St. Louis has experienced population decline. Families are voting with their feet.

That trend should matter to anyone who cares about the future of St. Louis. Strong public schools are among the most important factors families consider when deciding where to live, work and raise children. A city working to attract and retain families needs a diverse set of high-quality public schools that meet a wide range of student needs.

Public opinion tells the same story. The February 2026 Saint Louis University/YouGov poll found that 57% of Missourians support allowing charter schools statewide. Support is even stronger among Black Missourians, at 77%, among non-white Missourians, at 70%, and among households earning less than $50,000, at 61%. In St. Louis, a majority also supports charter schools.

The reasons are simple: Charter schools are delivering results and meeting their needs.

Research indicates that many charter schools are supporting students who succeed academically. Studies from Stanford University’s CREDO study and Saint Louis University’s PRiME Center have documented strong academic growth in numerous St. Louis charter schools. At the same time, many district schools across the region are producing excellent outcomes from students and families as well. These successes should be celebrated wherever they occur.

The evidence also shows that charter schools can strengthen the broader public education system. Research from the Progressive Policy Institute found that cities with substantial public school choice experience improvement across the educational landscape, benefiting students in both charter and district schools.

This should not be viewed as a charter school versus district school debate. Charter schools are public schools under Missouri law and are part of the fabric of public education in St. Louis. The city benefits when families have access to excellent district schools, excellent charter schools, excellent magnet schools and other high-quality options.

The real challenge facing St. Louis is not deciding which sector or school governance type should win. It is ensuring that every child has access to a great school and that the city remains a place where families want to build their future.

Thousands of St. Louis families have already made their preference known. They are asking for more high-quality public school options, and all of us — district leaders, charter leaders, educators, policymakers, community members and business leaders — should work together to meet that demand.