S. RES. 238: Congratulating Charter Schools Across the United States

On May 20, 2025, Senator Steve Cott of South Carolina introduced a resolution (H.R. 238) to congratulate students, parents, teachers, and leaders of charter schools across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education and supporting the ideals and goals of the 26th Annual National Charter Schools Week.

Background

Charter schools are public schools that do not charge tuition and enroll any student who wants to attend, often through a random lottery when demand exceeds supply. They aim to deliver high-quality education and promote innovation and excellence in public education.

High-performing charter schools challenge students to reach their potential for academic success.
PUBLIC Charter Schools promote quality, accountability, choice, high-performance, and innovation.

Impact of Public Charter Schools

Public charter schools have a significant impact on the education system in the United States. According to a 2023 report from the Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University, students attending public charter schools made significant gains in reading and math compared to their peers in traditional public schools.

“Students who attended public charter schools completed the equivalent of 16 more days of learning in reading and 6 more days of learning in math compared to their peers in traditional public schools.”

Enrollment and Growth

In 2021, approximately 8,000 public charter schools served around 3.7 million children across the United States. Enrollment in public charter schools has grown significantly over the past two decades, with a more than five-fold increase from 660,000 students in 2002 to 3.7 million in 2021.

In 270 school districts, more than 10 percent of public school students are enrolled in public charter schools.
In at least 26 school districts, at least 30 percent of public school students are enrolled in public charter schools.

Supporting Charter Schools During National Charter Schools Week

The Senate resolution supports the ideals and goals of the 26th Annual National Charter Schools Week, a week-long celebration to be held May 11 through May 17, 2025. The Senate encourages people to hold appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities during National Charter Schools Week to demonstrate support for high-quality public charter schools.

Resolution Text

Whereas charter schools are public schools that do not charge tuition and enroll any student who wants to attend, often through a random lottery when demand exceeds supply;
Whereas high-performing public charter schools deliver a high-quality public education and challenge all students to reach their potential for academic success;
Whereas public charter schools throughout the United States provide millions of families with diverse and innovative educational options for the children of those families;

… (rest of the text remains the same)

View the full text of S. RES. 238