Student Population Assumptions

The model assumes that, under the current system, the number of students in the government school system—now approximately 1.6 million—will grow slowly. The charter school portion of this number grows more rapidly, but starting at a small base of roughly 15,000 students, it does not represent a substantial portion of the overall enrollment. The model projects that alternative school students will number approximately 220,000 in 1998. Under the current system, the model assumes that alternative school enrollment grows somewhat faster than traditional public school enrollment.