Texas charter schools continue to lose students at substantially higher rates than traditional public schools, according to IDRA’s 2026 analysis. While charter schools served just 6% of Texas students in 2023-24, they accounted for 18% of students who dropped out of school.
In a supplemental analysis to IDRA’s annual attrition study of Texas traditional public school districts released in May 2026, IDRA examined enrollment and graduation data from the Texas Education Agency and conducted an attrition analysis of Texas charter school districts.
Attrition rates are an indicator of a school’s holding power, the ability to keep students enrolled and learning until they graduate. Attrition data do not indicate why students are no longer enrolled in high school or where they are.
Key findings:
- Charter schools are losing one in three students to attrition compared to one in five lost by traditional public schools.
- IDRA found that charter schools had an attrition rate of 34% for the Class of 2024, compared to 18% for traditional public school districts.
- Charters lose 44% of Black students, followed by 36% of Latino students and 20% of white students.
- The Texas Education Agency reports that charters had a four-year dropout rate of nearly 17% for the Class of 2024, which is almost three times the statewide rate for all students.
See the printable PDF of this infographic.
Analysis article: Dropout Rate for Texas Charter Schools Triples the State Rate – IDRA Attrition Analysis Shows Charter Schools Lose 44% of their Black Students, by Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz
News Release: Charter Schools Account for Nearly One in Five Texas Dropouts – IDRA analysis finds charter schools lose 44% of Black students
This infographic is a companion to Texas Public School Attrition Study, 2024-25 – High School Attrition Rate Worsens with Biggest Jump in Four Decades, by Christina Quintanilla-Muñoz & Joanna Sánchez, IDRA, May 2026
Learn more about IDRA’s attrition studies.
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