The charter-school revolution has officially enlisted a full 10 percent of all New York City school kids, new data show.
For the first time in history, the expanding sector will serve an enrollment of roughly 106,600 this year, according to New York City Charter School Center statistics.
The advocacy group announced the milestone Tuesday while noting that an additional 15 charter schools will open this year in all boroughs except Staten Island.
But despite the steady expansion of seats, the charter group says roughly 45,000 kids remain stranded on waitlists — an increase of 4 percent from last year.
“With 15 new schools and thousands of new seats this year, charter leaders are working hard to meet the growing demand from local families,” said CEO James Merriman.
In addition to the new campuses, roughly 100 existing charters have added seats and grades in order to accommodate demand, according to Merriman.
Of the 15 new facilities, the Success Academy network will inaugurate a total of five schools — three in Brooklyn and two in Queens. The new entrants also include Capital
Prep in Harlem, a venture initiated by rap impresario Sean “Diddy” Combs.
While charters have experienced rapid growth, Mayor de Blasio recently cautioned against overestimating their performance, seeking to minimize their impressive metrics, arguing they have an unhealthy fixation on strong test prep and exam scores that’s inconsistent with public-school priorities.
De Blasio also accused the sector of boosting their profile by cherry-picking promising students and rejecting candidates who could potentially weigh down their numbers.
Despite those criticisms, the Charter School Center says growing demand for new seats amongst city parents is undeniable.
The group reported there are now 4 applicants for every charter school seat in Harlem and the South Bronx — an example of insufficient supply and overwhelming demand.
There are now a total of 216 charter schools in New York City, the group said.
Of those, 56 have been operating for more than a decade while another 87 are still in their initial five-year probationary phase.
A total of 55 percent of charter students are black, 36 percent are Hispanic, 73 percent are low income, 6 percent are English-language learners and 16 percent are special-education students, according to the data.