Charter schools in northern Arizona lack diversity

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Charter schools in northern Arizona are struggling to be representative of the area's demographics.

The Arizona Daily Sun reports (http://goo.gl/ZP2s9P ) many charter schools in and around Flagstaff still aren't recruiting as many Hispanic students as those living in the area.

According to enrollment data from the Arizona Department of Education, with the exception of the PEAK School, non-Hispanic white students make up 70 percent or more of the enrollment at all Flagstaff charter schools. Census data shows 53 percent of Flagstaff is white.

Flagstaff Unified School District has just two schools with a white population above that mark, and nine are 50 percent or lower.

The lack of diversity comes more than 20 years after Arizona law was changed to allow capped-enrollment charter schools to open in the state.

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Information from: Arizona Daily Sun, http://www.azdailysun.com/

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