North Texas charter schools see enrollment growth in first year of school choice

Most North Texas public and private schools are back in session, including area charter schools with more than 49,000 kids attending.

They have the uniform look of a private school, but the foot traffic of a busy neighborhood public school.

Educator Tiffany Randle not only teaches at Uplift Heights Preparatory in West Dallas, but her daughter also attends.

"There's so many things here that contribute to her learning, her growth in life," said Randle.

The schools are state-funded, but separate from traditional school districts. Dallas, Fort Worth, and Garland, the largest school districts in North Texas, continue to see enrollment decline in the thousands.

With 900 6th-grade through 12th-grade students attending Uplift Heights Preparatory, enrollment continues to climb, according to CEO Remy Washington, particularly in urban neighborhoods of DFW.

"Right now, we don't see any impact on our enrollment at all. We operate business as usual, and improve programs we have, so we can attract more families," said Washington.

There are 23,000 students now filling the 45 Uplift charter schools in seven North Texas cities. No voucher needed, no audition or test score required. 

This year, with state funding for private school tuition payments coming into play, Uplift has seen no downturn for its charters yet, claiming high student achievement for free is what parents want — and students get.