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The report analyzes 2009–2025 enrollment patterns, special education responsibilities, and spending, using statewide and city-level evidence. It highlights charter growth’s implications for special education access, capacity, and constitutional policy obligations, emphasizing differences between large CMOs and major ISDs.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/texas-charter-growth-and-special-education-insights-from-major-cities-and-large-cmos-february-2026/587281/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/texas-charter-growth-and-special-education-insights-from-major-cities-and-large-cmos-february-2026/587281.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"วิน","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-06","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",9,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"How do Texas charter schools and CMOs differ from traditional public schools and ISDs in governance and enrollment?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Charters and CMOs are publicly funded but governed by private, non-elected boards and enroll students through open enrollment. Traditional public schools and ISDs are governed by locally elected boards and must serve students within their legal attendance boundaries.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What does the report find about special education enrollment in charters versus TPS statewide?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"For 2024–25, students with disabilities account for 12% of charter enrollment versus 15.8% in traditional public schools statewide.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How do large ISDs’ special education spending compare with major CMOs?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"In 2023–24, every large ISD in the study spends more per student with disabilities than both the state average and major CMOs in special education spending.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},587281,1792062963,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,115,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,30,"research-report",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":112,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},2336475104736,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/22000c4c5e0e5b17e70?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1786591360781797222","Texas Charter Growth and Special Education: Insights from  \nMajor Cities and Large CMOs  \nFebruary 2026  \nDavid E. DeMatthews  \nUniversity of Texas at Austin  \nJinseok Shin  \nUniversity of Texas at Austin  \nPedro Reyes  \nUniversity of Texas at Austin  \nLaura G. Torres  \nUniversity of Texas at Austin  \nDaniel Geist  \nUniversity of Texas at Austin  \nThe impact of charter growth matters  \nOverview  \nCharter schools and Charter Management Organizations (CMOs) in Texas are publicly funded but governed by private, non-elected boards and enroll students through open-enrollment rather than geographic assignment. Traditional public schools (TPSs) and Independent School Districts (ISDs) are overseen by locally elected boards and are legally required to serve all students residing within their boundaries. Texas law grants CMOs greater flexibility in governance, staffing, operations, and budgeting. ISDs must meet broader statutory obligations and provide services to every student in their attendance zones.  \nThe Texas charter sector has expanded rapidly over the past twenty years. This growth has important implications for the state’s constitutional responsibility to maintain an efficient system of public education and ensure full access to special education services for students with disabilities. This report presents statewide and city-level evidence on enrollment patterns, service responsibilities, and spending, with particular attention to large CMOs and large ISDs.  \nKey Findings at a Glance  \n• Rapid charter growth, slight TPS  \ngrowth. From 2009–2025, charter enrollment rose +313%(114k → 472k) while traditional public schools (TPSs) increased +9%(4 .41M → 4.80M) . In 2025, within the geographic boundaries of major Texas ISDs, charter schools accounted for roughly 32% of all publicly funded student enrollment in Houston, 29% in Dallas, 30% in Fort Worth, 33% in Austin, 47% in San Antonio, and 18% in El  \nPaso.  \n• Lower special education enrollment in charters. In 2024–25, students with disabilities made up 12% of charter enrollment versus 15.8% in TPSs statewide. The ten largest CMOs average 11.4%, with notably lower representation in higher-cost categories (e.g. , autism, intellectual disabilities) .  \n• Districts shoulder more intensive services amid enrollment losses. As charters expand, districts such as Fort Worth ISD, San Antonio ISD, Austin ISD, and El Paso ISD serve a higher share of students with disabilities than nearby charters even as overall district enrollment declined 10%–24% since 2009.  \n• ISDs spend more per student with disabilities than major CMOs. In 2023–24, every large ISDin this study outpaced both the state average and major CMOs in special education spending per student with disabilities.  \nLegal Framework & Policy Concerns  \nThe Texas Constitution requires the Legislature to“establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.”([Tex. Const. art. VII](Tex. Const. art. VII), § 1). Texas Education  \nCode § 29.001 directs TEA to design, consistent with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a statewide system so that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is available to all children with disabilities. Charters are explicitly subject to public school laws and special education requirements (Tex. Educ. Code § 12.103(a); § 12.104(b)(3)(F)) .  \nCurrent TEA commissioner rules guiding charter expansion allow approvals deemed “in the best interest of students” and permit consideration of “any relevant information,” but they do not require analysis of systemwide impacts on district enrollment, finances, or special education capacity (19 TAC  \n§ 100.1035(b)(3)–(4)) . A 2017 change added district notification for proposed expansions (19 TAC  \n§ 100.1035(f)) but still does not mandate fiscal or capacity review.  \nSome observers attribute charter growth to parental preference. While families do choose schools for many reasons, lower spe","cbCaisOzjR9TeR7N","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaisOzjR9TeR7N","pdf",3746405,18,"English","# Overview\n# Key Findings at a Glance\n# Legal Framework & Policy Concerns\n# Purpose & Scope of Study\n# Data & Limitations\n# Key Terms","[{\"question\":\"How do Texas charter schools and CMOs differ from traditional public schools and ISDs in governance and enrollment?\",\"answer\":\"Charters and CMOs are publicly funded but governed by private, non-elected boards and enroll students through open enrollment. Traditional public schools and ISDs are governed by locally elected boards and must serve students within their legal attendance boundaries.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the report find about special education enrollment in charters versus TPS statewide?\",\"answer\":\"For 2024–25, students with disabilities account for 12% of charter enrollment versus 15.8% in traditional public schools statewide.\"},{\"question\":\"How do large ISDs’ special education spending compare with major CMOs?\",\"answer\":\"In 2023–24, every large ISD in the study spends more per student with disabilities than both the state average and major CMOs in special education spending.\"}]","Texas Charter Growth and Special Education: Insights from Major Cities and Large CMOs - February 2026 | PDF",1792061345,45]