Dive Summary:

• According to a study by Rand Corp. economist Richard Buddin, charter schools have so many transfers from private schools that they are placing an increasing burden on taxpayers, with more than 190,000 students nationwide leaving a private school for a charter in 2008 alone.
• The report found the migration to be especially apparent in urban areas, where 32% of elementary grade charter enrollment was drawn from private schools, with 23% and 15% for middle and high school enrollment respectively.
• Buddin says the report highlights that there are trade-offs involved with the charter schools, which have previously been painted in a primarily positive light.

From the article:

Charter schools are pulling in so many onetime private school students that they are placing an ever-greater burden on taxpayers, who must fund an already strained public education system, according to research released Aug. 28. The study by a Rand Corp. economist found that more than 190,000 students nationwide had left a private school for a charter school by the end of the 2008 school year, the most recent year for which data were available. And charter schools have exploded in number since that time. The Los Angeles Unified School District has more charters, 193, than any school system in the country. ...