California charter school enrollment soars again

The number of California students attending charter schools has risen to more than a half million.

The California Charter Schools Association announced Tuesday an estimated 547,800 students are enrolled in charter schools for the 2014-15 school year, up from 519,000 the year before.

An additional 87 new charters opened this school year, bringing the total statewide to 1,184. Thirty four were closed.

Demand for charter schools in California continues to rise; some 91,000 students are currently on wait lists.

Charter schools are taxpayer-funded but operate independently of many of the laws and regulations governing traditional public schools. California has more charter schools than any other state in the nation.