Question 2 on the Nov. 8 ballot asks voters whether Massachusetts should lift its cap on charter schools. What you need to know:
What would Question 2 do?
If voters approve, the state board of education could allow 12 new or expanded charter schools per year.
If there are more than 12 applications in a given year, the board would give preference to proposals in districts that fall in the bottom 25 percent on state tests. Over time, the measure could mean significant additions to the current stock of 78 charter schools statewide.
There were 32,646 students on charter waiting lists as of March 2016.
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How have charter schools performed?
Nationwide they have a mixed record. But research shows that, in Massachusetts, urban charters have made strong gains among low-income black and Latino students.
A recent Brookings Institution summary of the research shows students attending urban charters are learning more, scoring better on SATs, and attending college at higher rates than students who applied for charters but did not win the lotteries for admission.
What is the financial impact of charters on traditional public schools?
State law requires the money to follow the child. So students who leave a traditional school for a charter take thousands of dollars in education aid with them. Charter schools are expected to drain $451 million from traditional schools this year — a figure that has become a rallying cry for the opposition to Question 2.
School districts don’t necessarily end up with less money, if local officials compensate for the loss.
David Scharfenberg can be reached at david.scharfenberg@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @dscharfGlobe.