Skip Navigation
Digest of Education Statistics
2009 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 100. Number and enrollment of traditional public and public charter elementary and secondary schools and percentages of students, teachers, and schools, by selected characteristics: 2007-08
Selected characteristic Total elementary and secondary schools Elementary schools Secondary schools Combined elementary/secondary schools
Total, all schools Traditional (non-charter) schools Public charter schools Total, all schools Traditional (non-charter) schools Public charter schools Total, all schools Traditional (non-charter) schools Public charter schools Total, all schools Traditional (non-charter) schools Public charter schools
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Enrollment (in thousands) 48,480 (696.9) 47,432 (670.6) 1,047   (122.4) 29,813   (442.2) 29,194   (436.3) 619   (92.7) 16,742   (502.4) 16,513   (486.8) 229 ! (108.6) 1,925   (140.6) 1,725   (126.2) 200 ! (63.4)
                                                                   
Percentage distribution
   of students
                                                                   
Race/ethnicity 100.0 (†) 100.0 (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†)
White 57.8 (0.74) 58.2 (0.75) 41.0   (4.92) 55.8   (0.96) 56.2   (0.99) 35.9   (6.19) 60.1   (1.29) 60.3   (1.24) 43.5   (11.22) 69.5   (2.23) 71.3   (2.39) 54.0   (6.78)
Black 16.0 (0.42) 15.7 (0.42) 29.0   (4.70) 16.2   (0.56) 15.8   (0.55) 36.1   (5.84) 15.9   (0.77) 15.8   (0.70)   (†) 12.7   (1.09) 12.2   (1.20) 17.6   (3.37)
Hispanic 20.4 (0.69) 20.3 (0.72) 23.8   (2.42) 22.1   (0.90) 22.1   (0.92) 21.6   (3.21) 18.2   (1.21) 18.0   (1.23) 31.5   (5.56) 12.6   (1.57) 11.5   (1.74) 22.0   (5.25)
Asian/Pacific Islander 4.4 (0.26) 4.4 (0.27) 3.8   (0.66) 4.5   (0.32) 4.5   (0.33) 3.8   (1.00) 4.7   (0.43) 4.7   (0.45) 3.5 ! (1.71) 1.6   (0.38) 1.3   (0.24)   (†)
American Indian/
     Alaska Native
1.4 (0.07) 1.4 (0.07) 2.3   (0.56) 1.4   (0.11) 1.4   (0.11) 2.6 ! (0.93) 1.2   (0.12) 1.2   (0.13) 1.5 ! (0.73) 3.6   (0.47) 3.8   (0.51)   (†)
                                                                   
Number of teachers
  (in thousands)
3,405 (44.0) 3,332 (42.7) 72   (7.7) 2,148   (31.5) 2,106   (31.0) 42   (5.8) 1,100   (26.2) 1,083   (26.1) 17   (4.0) 157   (8.6) 143   (9.4) 14 ! (4.6)
                                                                   
Percentage distribution
   of teachers
                                                                   
Race/ethnicity 100.0 (†) 100.0 (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†)
White 83.1 (0.53) 83.3 (0.51) 72.9   (3.11) 82.7   (0.81) 82.9   (0.81) 71.9   (3.84) 83.5   (0.97) 83.7   (1.01) 71.5   (5.28) 86.3   (1.52) 87.1   (1.36) 77.8   (5.57)
Black 7.0 (0.45) 6.9 (0.45) 12.3   (2.67) 7.1   (0.53) 7.0   (0.53) 13.2   (2.54) 6.9   (0.63) 6.8   (0.66)   (†) 7.2   (1.10) 6.8   (0.93) 12.1 ! (5.54)
Hispanic 7.1 (0.46) 7.0 (0.47) 9.3   (1.44) 7.5   (0.82) 7.5   (0.83) 9.9   (2.31) 6.8   (0.81) 6.7   (0.82) 12.0   (2.56) 3.0   (0.47) 2.9   (0.51) 4.3 ! (1.52)
Asian 1.2 (0.21) 1.2 (0.20) 2.6 ! (1.14) 1.2   (0.22) 1.2   (0.22)   (†) 1.3   (0.34) 1.3   (0.33) 3.8 ! (1.89)   (†) 0.5 ! (0.16)   (†)
Native Hawaiian/
     Pacific Islander
0.2 (0.04) 0.2 (0.04)   (†) 0.2 ! (0.06) 0.2 ! (0.06)   (†) 0.2 ! (0.07) 0.2 ! (0.06)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)
American Indian/
     Alaska Native
0.5 (0.06) 0.5 (0.06)   (†) 0.4   (0.08) 0.5   (0.08)   (†) 0.5   (0.07) 0.5   (0.07)   (†) 1.1   (0.28) 1.2   (0.25)   (†)
Two or more races 0.9 (0.09) 0.9 (0.09) 2.3   (0.51) 0.9   (0.13) 0.8   (0.13) 2.8   (0.82) 0.9   (0.11) 0.9   (0.12)   (†) 1.5   (0.42) 1.4 ! (0.45)   (†)
                                                                   
Years of full-time
   teaching experience
100.0 (†) 100.0 (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†)
Less than 3 13.4 (0.59) 13.1 (0.61) 29.2   (2.14) 13.3   (0.79) 13.0   (0.79) 27.8   (2.74) 13.3   (0.46) 13.0   (0.47) 31.9   (5.59) 16.1   (0.96) 14.7   (1.07) 30.5   (3.86)
3 to 9 33.6 (0.52) 33.3 (0.53) 44.9   (2.26) 33.9   (0.76) 33.6   (0.77) 46.6   (2.95) 33.5   (0.52) 33.4   (0.53) 41.4   (3.90) 29.5   (1.30) 28.1   (1.29) 44.0   (3.81)
10 to 20 29.3 (0.55) 29.5 (0.56) 17.7   (1.67) 29.2   (0.78) 29.4   (0.79) 17.4   (2.59) 29.2   (0.55) 29.4   (0.55) 18.4   (3.77) 30.9   (1.44) 32.2   (1.46) 17.6   (3.42)
More than 20 23.7 (0.60) 24.1 (0.61) 8.2   (1.33) 23.6   (0.87) 23.9   (0.87) 8.2   (2.23) 24.0   (0.50) 24.2   (0.51) 8.3   (1.81) 23.6   (1.18) 25.0   (1.28) 7.9   (2.34)
                                                                   
Number of schools 90,760 (546) 87,190 (508) 3,560   (138) 62,440   (519) 60,390   (496) 2,050   (300) 21,640   (486) 20,720   (399) 920   (268) 6,670   (375) 6,080   (284) 590 ! (263)
                                                                   
Percentage distribution
  of schools
                                                                   
Size of enrollment 100.0 (†) 100.0 (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†)
Less than 300 29.5 (1.00) 28.1 (1.01) 64.2   (4.66) 25.2   (1.28) 24.1   (1.23) 59.3   (6.68) 31.1   (2.24) 28.9   (2.15) 81.1   (7.61) 64.8   (3.03) 65.8   (2.95) 54.9   (12.75)
300 to 599 40.0 (1.17) 40.6 (1.22) 25.8   (3.88) 48.5   (1.49) 49.2   (1.48) 29.2   (5.11) 20.5   (1.62) 20.8   (1.69) 14.8 ! (6.43) 23.5   (2.53) 22.8   (2.47) 31.2 ! (12.75)
600 to 999 20.3 (0.79) 20.8 (0.79) 7.4 ! (2.41) 22.1   (1.04) 22.5   (1.06) 10.0 ! (4.48) 19.1   (1.18) 19.9   (1.23)   (†) 7.4   (0.99) 7.5   (1.06) 6.9 ! (3.05)
1,000 or more 10.2 (0.48) 10.5 (0.49) 2.7 ! (1.12) 4.2   (0.47) 4.3   (0.49)   (†) 29.2   (1.47) 30.4   (1.46)   (†) 4.2   (1.07) 4.0   (1.07)   (†)
                                                                   
Percent of students who are
   Black, Hispanic, Asian/
   Pacific Islander, or Amer-
   ican Indian/Alaska Native
100.0 (†) 100.0 (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†)
Less than 10.0 27.9 (0.82) 28.7 (0.84)   (†) 27.0   (1.10) 27.7   (1.11)   (†) 29.3   (1.29) 30.2   (1.35)   (†) 31.9   (2.49) 33.8   (2.60)   (†)
10.0 to 24.9 17.9 (0.81) 17.9 (0.81) 17.0 ! (5.27) 18.0   (1.11) 18.1   (1.12) 15.7 ! (5.52) 18.1   (1.12) 18.4   (1.11)   (†) 15.9   (2.66) 14.5   (2.16) 30.7 ! (13.09)
25.0 to 49.9 19.7 (0.92) 19.7 (0.92) 18.0   (4.69) 19.3   (1.19) 19.5   (1.20) 15.1 ! (5.56) 21.2   (1.53) 21.3   (1.54) 20.8 ! (9.56) 17.9   (2.15) 17.4   (2.15) 23.9 ! (9.90)
50.0 to 74.9 12.7 (0.74) 12.6 (0.75) 14.1 ! (4.88) 13.0   (0.99) 13.1   (1.01) 11.8 ! (4.24) 11.8   (1.26) 11.4   (1.12) 20.7 ! (10.27) 12.2   (2.19) 12.2   (2.15)   (†)
75.0 or more 21.9 (0.92) 21.0 (0.94) 42.7   (6.30) 22.7   (1.24) 21.7   (1.28) 50.4   (6.91) 19.5   (1.54) 18.7   (1.54) 39.2   (10.18) 22.0   (3.29) 22.1   (3.45) 21.2 ! (8.03)
                                                                   
Percent of students approved
   for free or reduced-price
    lunch program
100.0 (†) 100.0 (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†) 100.0   (†)
School does not participate 4.8 (0.45) 4.0 (0.44) 24.5   (5.55) 2.2   (0.45) 1.7   (0.40) 16.2 ! (5.52) 9.7   (1.28) 8.5   (1.20) 35.8 ! (12.64) 13.1   (2.45) 11.0   (2.32) 35.3 ! (12.13)
0 to 25.0 26.9 (1.00) 27.6 (1.01) 9.9 ! (3.34) 26.8   (1.29) 27.4   (1.32) 9.4 ! (3.69) 31.8   (1.66) 32.7   (1.69)   (†) 11.7   (1.63) 11.9   (1.36)   (†)
25.1 to 50.0 27.4 (0.97) 27.7 (0.99) 18.8   (4.32) 26.2   (1.22) 26.5   (1.28) 16.6 ! (6.16) 30.8   (1.45) 30.9   (1.33) 28.7 ! (9.82) 27.0   (2.76) 28.6   (2.77)   (†)
50.1 to 75.0 21.4 (0.75) 21.4 (0.76) 21.4   (4.98) 23.3   (1.02) 23.2   (1.03) 25.9   (6.56) 15.3   (1.30) 15.6   (1.30)   (†) 23.1   (2.55) 22.6   (2.40) 27.5 ! (11.95)
More than 75.0 19.6 (0.86) 19.4 (0.88) 25.5   (4.38) 21.5   (1.16) 21.2   (1.17) 31.9   (6.05) 12.4   (1.42) 12.2   (1.42) 16.6 ! (6.25) 25.1   (3.39) 25.9   (3.60) 16.9 ! (8.43)
                                                                   
Percent of schools with
   selected programs and
   services
                                                                   
Programs with special
   instructional approaches
17.6 (0.78) 16.9 (0.80) 36.3   (5.34) 12.3   (0.84) 11.6   (0.81) 33.6   (5.99) 27.7   (1.97) 27.2   (1.96) 37.3 ! (11.61) 34.9   (3.56) 34.1   (3.26) 44.1 ! (14.53)
Talented or gifted program 68.0 (0.86) 69.2 (0.88) 38.1   (6.62) 69.6   (1.11) 70.8   (1.12) 34.1   (6.47) 71.0   (1.76) 72.6   (1.72) 35.8 ! (10.99) 43.3   (3.16) 42.1   (2.99) 55.9   (13.16)
Immersion in a foreign
   language program
3.1 (0.40) 3.1 (0.42) 2.7 ! (1.29) 3.6   (0.56) 3.6   (0.58)   (†) 2.4   (0.46) 2.5   (0.49)   (†) 1.1 ! (0.42) 1.2 ! (0.42)   (†)
Advanced Placement (AP)
   courses
17.8 (0.65) 17.9 (0.63) 15.9 ! (5.52) 1.7 ! (0.63) 1.8 ! (0.65)   (†) 59.0   (1.80) 60.2   (1.82) 31.3   (8.04) 34.4   (2.85) 33.2   (2.68) 46.5   (13.85)
International Baccalaureate 1.5 (0.25) 1.6 (0.26)   (†) 1.3   (0.32) 1.4   (0.33)   (†) 2.4   (0.42) 2.5   (0.44)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)
Distance learning courses 13.9 (0.56) 13.8 (0.54) 16.4 ! (6.27) 2.7   (0.55) 2.6   (0.52)   (†) 36.9   (1.48) 37.3   (1.39) 28.0 ! (11.74) 44.3   (3.06) 45.2   (3.00) 34.8 ! (12.85)
Extended day program for
   students who need
   academic assistance
52.4 (0.95) 52.1 (1.00) 60.2   (5.67) 54.2   (1.29) 53.8   (1.36) 67.0   (7.02) 49.9   (1.43) 49.9   (1.42) 50.6   (10.02) 43.3   (3.57) 42.5   (3.80) 51.5   (13.61)
Before-school or after-school
   day care programs
36.0 (0.90) 35.4 (0.88) 48.5   (6.99) 47.8   (1.28) 47.2   (1.29) 65.5   (7.25) 8.1   (0.99) 7.5   (0.91) 20.0 ! (7.93) 16.0   (2.38) 14.3   (2.07) 33.8 ! (12.63)
Magnet program 6.3 (0.45) 6.1 (0.43)   (†) 5.8   (0.54) 5.7   (0.55)   (†) 8.3   (1.01) 8.0   (0.79)   (†) 4.5 ! (1.86) 4.0 ! (1.34)   (†)
Entire school is for
   suspended students1 
4.2 (0.45) 4.1 (0.44) 7.7 ! (3.79) 0.7   (0.18) 0.7   (0.18)   (†) 8.0   (1.49) 7.6   (1.45)   (†) 24.5   (3.35) 25.6   (3.51)   (†)
                                                                   
Percent of schools with
   selected opportunities
   for students in grades 9-12
                                                                   
Dual enrollment for high
   school and college credit
(†) (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 69.3   (1.74) 69.6   (1.72) 62.9   (11.74) 52.9   (3.09) 52.0   (3.20) 61.8   (12.98)
Career and technical education
   courses
(†) (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 86.0   (1.56) 87.4   (1.53) 57.1   (10.69) 70.4   (3.71) 73.6   (3.52) 37.6 ! (13.03)
Work-based learning or intern-
   ships for course credit
(†) (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 72.3   (1.63) 73.3   (1.71) 53.1   (10.33) 43.2   (3.43) 43.9   (3.21) 36.3 ! (11.39)
Specialized career academy (†) (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 29.0   (1.46) 30.0   (1.51)   (†) 8.9   (1.36) 9.4   (1.30)   (†)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution.
‡Reporting standards not met.                                                                    
1 Entire school specifically for students who have been suspended or expelled, who have dropped out, or who have been referred for behavioral or adjustment problems.
NOTE: Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Standard errors appear in parentheses.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), "Public School Questionnaire," 2007-08 and "Public Teacher Questionnaire," 2007-08. (This table was prepared October 2009.)

2009 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest