Thousands of students flee home districts: 60% more opt for other towns’ schools

The Boston Globe reports:

The number of Massachusetts students leaving their local public schools for other districts has surged 60 percent in the past decade, with thousands more waiting for openings, a movement that signals rising discontent with many hometown schools and a level of desperation to attend better ones.

Many families are fleeing poorly performing urban districts such as Springfield, Worcester, and Fitchburg to enroll their children in nearby systems that have better reputations and higher test scores. While many suburban Boston schools do not accept outside students, those that do, including Avon, Ipswich and Rockport, report far more applicants than available spots.

“They are voting with their feet,’’ said Anthony Bent, the superintendent in Leominster, which last year lost 246 students who elected to go to other public schools.

The record number of students taking advantage of the state’s school choice program has drawn little attention amid the clamorous debate over charter schools, which enjoy growing popularity as alternatives to traditional public schools.

Great moments in public education.