School choice proponents say it offers families more options – but those don’t always extend to immigrant students

Researchers examined three Charleston-area high schools and found stark divides tied to school choice: North Charleston High is 92.5% Black or Hispanic and 100% economically disadvantaged, while nearby Academic Magnet, which admits by test score, is 8.9% Black or Hispanic and 13% economically disadvantaged. Teacher turnover at North Charleston hit 39.7% over three years, more than double the rate at magnet and better-off neighborhood schools.

English proficiency gaps followed the same pattern: only 3.4% of non-native speakers at North Charleston were proficient, compared with 16.9% at Fort Dorchester, while Academic Magnet had too few non-native speakers to measure. The researchers, writing ahead of South Carolina's new voucher program for private school and homeschooling costs, argue that school choice policies marketed as expanding options have instead concentrated immigrant and low-income students in the schools with the fewest resources and the highest staff turnover.

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