School choice inludes public schools

Complete report

Over 145,000 Colorado students, or over 16 percent of the public school population, “choice” into a traditional public school other than the one assigned to them based on their address — a population larger than total public charter school, public magnet, private school, or home-school enrollment in the state. 

School choice is often considered an urban and suburban phenomenon, but many of the biggest users of inter-district choice, by percentage of students “choicing” into different schools, are in rural communities.

Traditional public school choice options within and across district lines are possible because of Colorado’s open enrollment law, which gives families the ability to enroll their children in a school outside their home district or across neighborhood school boundaries if there is capacity in the school. 

About 50,000 Colorado students cross district lines to attend another district school, and over 95,600 more choose from within their school district’s offerings. High-performing districts are more likely to enroll students from outside the district, suggesting a healthy competitive school choice environment among traditional district schools.

Data suggest that some subgroups of students are less likely to use open enrollment, especially English learners.