Alabama charter schools expect to have 4,762 spots for next school year

The Alabama Public Charter School Commission anticipates at least 4,762 charter school spots for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Charter schools estimate that they will be able to fill 84.5% of the slots presented in the school contract for growth, according to figures reported by the schools and presented at a meeting of the commission on Monday. Some schools are limited in reaching that capacity due to their need for more space to grow. The figure does not include enrollment capacity for Magic City Acceptance Academy in Homewood, which is applying to renew its contract. The school anticipates enrollment of up to 450 students, up from 345 students the previous year. It also does not include numbers for Freedom Prep, which opened in Birmingham in September 2024.

The commission also looked at enrollment and capacity for the current academic year. Although some grade levels at some schools were over capacity, each of the state’s 12 charter schools under the commission remains under its maximum enrollment level for the 2024-2025 school year. In December 2024, charter schools had a total maximum enrollment of 5,665 students, but enrolled 4,419.

The commission in 2024 approved the opening of Freedom Prep in Birmingham after a few months of discussions around the school not meeting enrollment targets. In September, the school opened with reportedly 67 students, with a maximum enrollment of 80. In December, the school reported 34 students enrolled in the school. The plan was to open with 80% enrollment.

This story was edited at 1:08 p.m. to clarify that some charter schools are limited in reaching capacity number due to the limited number of seats available in current facilities and their need for more space for growth.